Scientists are calling the head of a small sand-toothed tiger shark back to Libby Beach

This is because the shark has been identified as a sand tiger shark with small teeth. Not only is it a rare species, but conservationists say it is rarely seen so far north in the Northeast Atlantic, making its discovery in Hampshire, southern England, one that could provide valuable information about the species.

Shark was already Newspaper headlines Once before his death, when an intrepid local woman saw the shark stranded in the shallow waters off Libby’s Beach and jumped in, pulling the shark by its tail into the deeper waters so it could swim to safety.

But the shark didn’t survive long, as locals discovered his body had washed ashore on Saturday. However, biologists quickly became excited when they realized the shark was a rare find—and enlisted the help of local residents, including television historian Dan Snow, to help secure the remains for scientists to examine.

Unfortunately, by the time the locals returned to collect the shark’s carcass, the “trophy hunters” had “cut off the head, dorsal fin, and tail,” Snow, who resides in the area and saw the shark before the headless he said in a video Posted on Twitter.

“[It is] Really disappointing because scientists and marine biologists sent us out there to try and secure the carcass of this once-in-a-lifetime discovery in British waters,” Snow said.

He added, “It’s not illegal to take parts of dead fish that have washed ashore, so there is no judgment, but if you take the head, please call, let the scientists take a look and then you have to keep it.”

Snow later posted a video of him collecting shark organs for the London-based international charity Zoological Society of London (ZSL), which will examine the remains.

Some of the shark’s internal organs had also been removed, said Rob DeVille, project manager of the ZSL program which is investigating when sharks and other marine animals were washed up across England and Wales, in a telephone interview.

Deville said researchers are still able to glean some information from the remains — including the shark’s genes, any pollutants it was exposed to, and perhaps even its eating habits — but noted that the investigation is no longer focused on the cause of death.

Ben Jarrod, professor of evolutionary biology at the University of East Anglia, said the shark’s head would have allowed researchers to examine the brain as well as the chemical makeup of the teeth, which would have given insight into where the shark originated from. Even an eye lens can provide information about its life history and environment, Hannah Rudd, a marine scientist with Shark Hub UK, said via email.

“It’s like finding a Roman bust, so beautifully preserved, and then taking off its head and arms — well, first of all you don’t know who it is,” Jarrod said in a telephone interview.

“There’s no judgment, but you have a much greater chance of contributing to something really exciting, really important, by putting the head back — so if you wanted to drop it off an aquarium or a fish and chip shop in the area, that would be great.”

According to the Shark Trust, a British organization focused on the study and conservation of sharks, the distribution of sabre-toothed sand tigers in the northeast Atlantic extends only to the top of the Bay of Biscay, on the west coast of France. She said in a statementMake this report exceptional.

“The head in particular holds the key to unlocking the intricate details of sharks’ lives, even from before birth, so we welcome news of their whereabouts!” Confidence said.

Sand tiger sharks with small teeth grow up to four meters (about 13 feet) in length and are usually found towards the sea floor. The Guardian reported The one seen on Libby’s beach was six feet long.

While sightings of this shark have not been linked to climate change, a host of studies have shown the impact of rising temperatures on the world’s oceans. Last year, ocean temperature broke records for the third year in a row, reaching the hottest temperature since reliable measurements began in 1958.

Ocean temperatures rose to another record high in 2022

One study from 2022 found that about a third of marine animals could disappear within 300 years if greenhouse gas emissions continue to rise, while another study from 2014 found that ocean acidification was disrupting sharks’ sense of smell – and affecting their ability to hunt. . .

“With climate change, with changes in biodiversity loss, it may be that this particular species of shark is replacing species in that area, and it may be moving into new waters because of climate change,” Jarrod said. “We don’t know any of that stuff because we don’t have the whole shark.”