Wait, They're Related?

Scientists at the Florida Institute of Technology have recently found that a previously thought Bigeye sixgill shark in the Atlantic is actually a new species of sixgill shark that was identified all with the help of base pairs and DNA analysis.

Scientists discovered the Atlantic Sixgill shark after researchers at the Florida Institute of Technology analyzed the base pairs of three sixgill sharks in different oceans, and determined that the Atlantic Sixgill shark is an entirely different species of shark compared to other the sixgill sharks. Sixgill sharks are commonly found in the Pacific, Indian, and Atlantic oceans and are named for their uncommon six gills, instead of the normal five. They are known for being reclusive, deep water dwellers, thus scientists don’t know a ton about them, until now. The previously discovered species are the Bluntnose and Bigeye sixgill sharks who are “cousins,” which can reach up and over fifteen feet long, while the Atlantic Sixgill shark can only get about six feet in length.

The new discovery isn’t just important for shark enthusiasts either, but conservationists and researchers as well. Since scientists now know that there are distinct sixgill species in the Atlantic, that means if they are over-hunted and fished, then the population won’t replenish from another area. That may sound like a bad thing, but in all actuality, this means that conservations will be able to place more restrictio

n on the hunting of sharks in order to preserve the populations.

The new shark species may not be well known or super important to most people's daily lives, but whether freshmen are learning about base pairs in Biology or scientists are making new discoveries, the Atlantic Sixgill shark goes to show that there is still more to discover on this Earth, and science is the key to a deeper understanding.