Sharks vs Dinosaurs: How Sharks Survived the Asteroid Impact and Human Threat

KOMPAS.com – Sharks and dinosaurs are two terrifying natural predators that lived at the same time or even existed much longer than dinosaurs.

But long story short, dinosaurs were wiped out by an asteroid impact around 66 million years ago, while sharks still survive and continue to thrive today.

So, how did sharks survive the dinosaur extinction event when an asteroid hit Earth 66 million years ago?

Read also: What are the new clues to the cause of the extinction of the ancient megalodon shark?

Shark survives asteroid impact

Quoted from Science ABC, Monday (16/10/2023) research shows that several species of shark survive because of their deep water habitat and small size, more specifically because they do not run out of prey.

After an asteroid impact hit Earth, tiny algae became a constant food source for deep-sea creatures, including the fish that sharks eat, allowing deep-sea hunters to survive.

Sharks are also not ordinary predators. They have several tricks to survive.

Scientists have observed that they can survive harsh environmental changes, including extreme temperature changes, high pressure, and low oxygen levels.

Reef sharks and hammerhead sharks are even reported to live inside active underwater volcanoes.

It is not surprising that sharks have also experienced five deadly extinction events, including one caused by a massive volcanic eruption in Siberia that wiped out 75 percent of land animals and 90 percent of sea creatures around 250 million years ago.

Read also: Do All Sharks Live in the Sea?

“Sharks are able to exploit various parts from dark deep oceans to shallow seas and even river systems. They eat a variety of foods, such as plankton, fish, crabs, seals and whales,” said Emma Bernard, curator of fish fossils at Natural History London Museums.

This gives sharks a greater chance of surviving if conditions in the ocean change.

Many sharks can live very long lives, even hundreds of years, giving them a greater opportunity to reproduce and change to suit their environment.

Additionally, these powerful sea creatures can repair their own DNA. Whale sharks have cancer-preventing genes similar to great white sharks.

Their ability to heal themselves quickly helps protect them from many diseases and supports their longevity.

Plus sharks have a strong sense of smell, helping them find food and explore new places.

Shark extinction

Sharks, as previously discussed, were able to survive four major mass extinctions. But now they face their most serious human-caused challenge.

Humans have driven them to further extinction, and are responsible for the recent drastic decline in the world’s shark population.

Read also: Are Great White Sharks Interested in Preying on Humans?

Human activities such as overfishing, hunting, pollution and climate change cause the death of around 100 million sharks every year.

In fact, sharks have an important role in the marine ecosystem, namely maintaining ocean health and maintaining natural balance.

If they are missing, it will have a negative ripple effect on everything in the water.

This is a reminder of how important it is to be more aware of your actions and stop disrupting the balance of nature.

Films like Jaws portray sharks as dangerous creatures but in reality it is humans who pose a much greater threat to sharks.

Read also: Reef Sharks Are Heading to Extinction, What’s the Cause?

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2023-10-17 13:30:00
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