Mackerel sharks are members of the order Lamniformes, a group of predatory cartilaginous fishes within the class Chondrichthyes. This order is characterized by a fusiform body, conical snout, large jaws with well-developed, often serrated teeth, and a heterocercal tail adapted for sustained, high-speed swimming. Lamniformes typically possess two dorsal fins without spines, an anal fin, five gill slits, and relatively large, oil-rich livers that aid buoyancy. Many species exhibit regional endothermy via countercurrent heat exchangers (retia mirabilia), enabling elevated body or muscle temperatures. The order includes ecologically significant apex and mesopredators such as the great white shark (Carcharodon carcharias) and the shortfin mako (Isurus oxyrinchus).
Endangered basking sharks aren't fasting during long-distance migrations. A new study led by the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution shows that they may be foraging along the way, and in much deeper areas of the ocean than ...
Plants & Animals
Jun 4, 2026
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The beaches of Sydney's Royal National Park have been disrupted by a pungent odor. And its source is drawing in more than just seagulls.
Plants & Animals
Apr 30, 2026
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Scientists have used an online game to discover the secrets of animal camouflage—such as why tigers have stripes. The study, by the universities of Exeter and Bristol, reveals that high-contrast markings like tiger stripes ...
Plants & Animals
Apr 29, 2026
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A new study reveals that some of the ocean's most powerful predators are running hotter, and that they are likely paying an increasingly steep price for it. The significance of this headline finding is the "double jeopardy" ...
Plants & Animals
Apr 16, 2026
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A new study analyzing two fossilized whale skulls from around 5 million years ago has revealed fragments of sharks' teeth lodged inside them. This provides rare evidence of how sharks fed on whales in north European waters ...
Paleontology & Fossils
Mar 18, 2026
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Environmental DNA (eDNA) tests can identify genetic material left by organisms in the environment, such as cells and excrement, but surveys of ocean wildlife can be difficult and expensive, and standard eDNA tests are also ...
Ecology
Mar 9, 2026
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How many fossils does it take to accurately train an image-based AI algorithm? According to a new study co-authored by Bruce MacFadden, UF Distinguished Professor Emeritus and retired curator of vertebrate paleontology at ...
Paleontology & Fossils
Feb 25, 2026
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Research from Adelaide University and the South Australian Research and Development Institute (SARDI) has shown for the first time that Australian sea lion pups can learn foraging behavior from their mothers. Social information ...
Plants & Animals
Feb 21, 2026
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146
According to the ISAF 2025 shark attack report, global unprovoked shark bites returned to near-average levels in 2025, following a sharp reduction the year prior. A total of 65 unprovoked shark bites occurred worldwide in ...
Plants & Animals
Feb 18, 2026
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39
On April 20, 2023, a juvenile great white shark (Carcharodon carcharias) measuring approximately 210 cm and weighing between 80 and 90 kg was incidentally caught by local fishermen off the coast of the eastern peninsula within ...
Plants & Animals
Feb 10, 2026
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