Science
Australian researchers have found that the shark brain has some specific properties that resemble those of the human brain. No, Australians are not going to use this discovery to claim, like other scientists, that the human ancestor was a shark. Researchers are only trying to develop more effective means to deter these predators.
Scientists from the University of Western Australia said that sharks and other cartilaginous fish have highly developed sensory systems and relatively large brains. Kara Yopak from the Oceanological Institute at the University of Western Australia reported on the results of a recent study that led scientists to the conclusion that humans have much more in common with sharks than was previously thought.
According to Dr. Yopak, sharks and their relatives are one of the earliest bone-fed vertebrates. “Despite significant differences, there are many common brain traits that have developed at least no later than the brains of cartilaginous fish. And these traits continue to develop in all vertebrates,” says Dr. Yopak.
“For example, as a result of another scientific study, it was possible to find that the great white shark has a fairly large brain area that perceives visual information. And this shows the relative importance of vision in such animals. Perhaps, after studying this information, scientists will pay attention to the visual system when developing shark repellents,” Yopak said. Why not? And then sharks can be scared off the shore by screening the movie Jaws!
