New Research Identifies Walking Shark as Most Recently Evolved Shark on Earth

[Frank Robert]

“We found the sharks, which use their fins to ‘walk’ around shallow reefs, only split off evolutionarily from their nearest common ancestor about 9 million years ago, and have been actively radiating into a complex of at least nine walking sharks ever since,” said Dr. Mark Erdmann, Conservation International Vice President of Asia-Pacific Marine programs and coauthor of the paper. “That may seem like a long time ago, but sharks have ruled the oceans for more than 400 million years. This discovery proves that modern sharks have remarkable evolutionary staying power and the ability to adapt to environmental changes.”

While no one witnessed the evolution of the 9 new species, still their DNA is evidence for species' relatedness and a common ancestor.
"Walking" Sharks

 

[essentialsaltes]

Candygram

 

[Astrid]

If terrestrial vertebrates had evolved from sharks
instead of fish, things would be mighty different.
K

 

[Warden_of_the_Storm]

If terrestrial vertebrates had evolved from sharks
instead of fish, things would be mighty different.
K

... would they?
I mean, they'd still be fish. Just with sharper teeth.

 

[Astrid]

... would they?
I mean, they'd still be fish. Just with sharper teeth.

First, sharks are not fish.

Second, while it was fish started coming out of the
water, we their descendants are not fish.

Some tens of millions of years out
of the water, what had been sharks wouldnt
you know, still be.

 

[Warden_of_the_Storm]

First, sharks are not fish.

Second, while it was fish started coming out of the
water, we their descendants are not fish.

Some tens of millions of years out
of the water, what had been sharks wouldnt
you know, still be.

... sharks are very much fish. They are not anything else, but fish.

And your comment just makes no sense. Either us being descended from sharks would been something interesting or it wouldn't.

 

[Astrid]

... sharks are very much fish. They are not anything else, but fish.

And your comment just makes no sense. Either us being descended from sharks would been something interesting or it wouldn't.

So shellFISH, crayFISH, hagFISH.

I didn't say shark - ancestor tetrapods
would not be interesting.

 

[Warden_of_the_Storm]

So shellFISH, crayFISH, hagFISH.

I didn't say shark - ancestor tetrapods
would not be interesting.

I understand that English isn't your first language, and the English language is historically... just a mess. But sharks are fish. So are hagfish.

And again, you're not making sense with your comments. Yes, sharks would still exist if humans evolved from very early sharks, same as apes have. But I pointed out, if vertebrates evolved from sharks, we'd probably just have sharper teeth as standard.

I did originally call them fish, not vertebrates, that's a faux pas on my part.

 

[Astrid]

I understand that English isn't your first language, and the English language is historically... just a mess. But sharks are fish. So are hagfish.

And again, you're not making sense with your comments. Yes, sharks would still exist if humans evolved from very early sharks, same as apes have. But I pointed out, if vertebrates evolved from sharks, we'd probably just have sharper teeth as standard.

I did originally call them fish, not vertebrates, that's a faux pas on my part.

I don't suppose you ever took a 400 level course in
comparative Vertebrate Anatomy, did you?

 

[Warden_of_the_Storm]

I don't suppose you ever took a 400 level course in
comparative Vertebrate Anatomy, did you?

Didn't even go to university.

... but sharks are fish.

 

[Larniavc]

Candygram

For Mongo?

 

[Astrid]

Didn't even go to university.

... but sharks are fish.

That certainly settles something

 

[Warden_of_the_Storm]

That certainly settles something

I have now lost track of this meta-debate.

I'm just happy that someone did a Blazing Saddles reference.

 

[Astrid]

I have now lost track of this meta-debate.

I'm just happy that someone did a Blazing Saddles reference.

Something about sharks, and little fishes.

References to American movies and tv, sports etc usually
are usually lost on me.
I've been to England twice.
Where's your home town?

 

[essentialsaltes]

For Mongo?

Also an acceptable comedic candygram reference, but in this case...

 

[sjastro]

Walking sharks have been around for as long as humankind.