Sharks with no legs can walk on land, thanks to evolution.
A team of academics from Florida Atlantic University and Australia's James Cook University is studying epaulette sharks, a rare kind of shark. Using their paddle-shaped fins, young individuals of this species have learnt to walk on land. They can also survive for two hours without oxygen and hunt for prey in reef areas where most other sharks would never venture.
Because epaulette sharks are believed to prey only on aquatic animals such as small fish and not on land animals, they spend much of their time walking in and around the reef. During the trial, however, the researchers observed that the sharks could move up to 30 meters on dry land using their fins. The odd skills of epaulette sharks are being seen as an evolutionary step toward weathering the ongoing climatic crisis.
Accordin...