Scientists discover ancient great white shark fossil nursery in Chile

9 Jun 2020

Scientists discover ancient great white shark fossil nursery in Chile

Scientists discover ancient great white shark fossil nursery in ChileHave you read about great white sharks (or great whites)?

They are famous for their large size and being great hunters with fearsome teeth. Great whites are also very important to the ecosystem. However, today, their population is very less due to pollution and illegal hunting. This makes it difficult to study them.

Recently, a team of scientists recently found evidence of an ancient great white shark nursery in the Coquimbo Region of northern Chile. These sharks would have lived between 2.5 to 5 million years ago.

What does the study say?

Great whites are known to protect their young (known as pups).
 	They keep them in nurseries, usually in shallow seas or protected bays, till they are old enough. A nursery is a room or place set apart for the young.
 	The scientists were studying great white shark teeth fossils from three locations in South America when they realised that most of the teeth from Coquimbo were of juveniles (teens).
 	This shows that Coquimbo must have been the site of a nursery. It also shows that great whites have used nurseries to raise their young for millions of years.

The study also indicates that Peru and Chile had large populations of great whites during ancient times.

Great white shark nurseries exist today as well but only a few are known to us. Scientists say that by studying the ancient nursery, we can help understand how to save the sharks today.

Here is a video on sharks:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4HGNqFdaD34

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