Why scientists are giving ultrasounds to 10-foot-long pregnant sharks
Using new technology to answer questions about shark reproduction. (Tanya Houppermans/)Hannah Verkamp is a PhD student in marine biology at Arizona State University. This story originally featured on The Conversation.If you have a toddler, or if you encountered one in the last year, you’ve almost certainly experienced the “Baby Shark” song. Somehow, every kid seems to know this song, but scientists actually know very little about where and when sharks give birth. The origins of these famous baby sharks are still largely a mystery.Many of the large iconic shark species—like great whites, hammerheads, blue sharks and tiger sharks—cross hundreds or thousands of miles of ocean every year. Because they’re so wide-ranging, much of sharks’ lives, including their reproductive habits, remains a secret. Scientists have struggled to figure out precisely where and how often sharks mate, the length of their gestation, and many aspects of the birthing process.I am a Ph.D....