Centralized red muscle in Odontaspis ferox and the prevalence of regional endothermy in sharks

The order Lamniformes contains charismatic species such as the white shark and extinct megatooth shark , and is of particular interest given their influence on marine ecosystems, and because some members exhibit regional endothermy. However, there remains significant debate surrounding the prevalenc...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Biology letters (2005) 2023-11, Vol.19 (11), p.20230331-20230331
Main Authors: Dolton, Haley R, Snelling, Edward P, Deaville, Robert, Jackson, Andrew L, Perkins, Matthew W, Bortoluzzi, Jenny R, Purves, Kevin, Curnick, David J, Pimiento, Catalina, Payne, Nicholas L
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animals
Ecosystem
Gigantism
Muscle, Skeletal
Prevalence
Sharks - physiology
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Summary:The order Lamniformes contains charismatic species such as the white shark and extinct megatooth shark , and is of particular interest given their influence on marine ecosystems, and because some members exhibit regional endothermy. However, there remains significant debate surrounding the prevalence and evolutionary origin of regional endothermy in the order, and therefore the development of phenomena such as gigantism and filter-feeding in sharks generally. Here we show a basal lamniform shark, the smalltooth sand tiger shark , has centralized skeletal red muscle and a thick compact-walled ventricle; anatomical features generally consistent with regionally endothermy. This result, together with the recent discovery of probable red muscle endothermy in filter feeding basking sharks , suggests that this thermophysiology is more prevalent in the Lamniformes than previously thought, which in turn has implications for understanding the evolution of regional endothermy, gigantism, and extinction risk of warm-bodied shark species both past and present.
ISSN:1744-957X
1744-957X
DOI:10.1098/rsbl.2023.0331