I n the animal kingdom hybrid species have always been a mysterious and intriguing species because of their cross breed characters between the two parent species often making them unique.

Scientists have found the world’s first hybrid sharks in waters off Australia – a discovery that researchers said could have implications for the whole shark world. The predators are a cross between the common blacktip shark and the Australian black tip shark. Interbreeding is a sign the animals are adapting to warmer waters. However, scientists fear that this could make the sharks stronger.



Leading researchers in marine biology discovered 57 animals along a 200 kilometer stretch of ocean from Queensland to New South Wales.



An unusual discovery! Dr. Jess Morgan, of the University of Queensland, said it was unusual for sharks to breed this way: ‘Sharks physically mate, which is usually a good way to make sure you don’t hybridize with the wrong species.

Dr Jennifer Ovenden of the Queensland Department of Primary Industries said: ‘Hybridization could enable the sharks to adapt to environmental change, as the smaller Australian black tip currently favors tropical waters in the north while the larger common black tip is more abundant in sub-tropical waters along the south-eastern Australian coastline.’

This shows that how nature prepares its inhabitants to adjust to its diversities and vagaries on its own. Such revelations propel us to look beyond the ordinary facts in nature to discover the extraordinary.

