Even before dinosaurs roamed the earth, sharks hunted through the oceans! They're such good survivors that they've had little need to evolve in the last 150 million years.
- Sharks have the most powerful jaws on the planet. Unlike most animals' jaws, both the sharks' upper and lower jaws move. A shark bites with it's lower jaw first and then its upper. It tosses its head back and forth to tear loose a piece of meat which it swallows whole.
- The most dangerous sharks are the Great White shark, the Tiger shark, the Hammerhead shark, the Mako shark and the Bull shark. On average, there are only about 100 shark attacks each year and only 10 of those result in a human death.
- Not all sharks are fierce carnivores. Some are quite harmless. Oddly enough, the most harmless sharks tend to be the largest! The basking shark, the whale shark and the megamouth sharks all fit this description.These huge sharks eat plankton, a tiny shrimp-like creature found in the ocean. They swim forward with their mouths wide open. "Gill rakers" at the back of their throat strain the tiny food from the water. Let me know if you have something to share about SHARKS! -Professor Saputello