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Artefacts offer Pacific shark species absence clues
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-22005634
Historical artefacts, such as this shark teeth weapon, are an "under-utilised source of data"
***SNIP
Ecologically important
"When combined with historical records, these identifications allow us to reconstruct the shark community," they explained.
"In doing so, we are able to identify how the baseline of an apex predatory community has shifted over time."
Spot-tail sharks (Carcharhinus sorrah), listed in the IUCN Red List as Near Threatened, are now primarily found in coastal regions around the Indian Ocean and the south-eastern Asian shores of the Pacific Ocean.
Meanwhile, dusky sharks (Carcharhinus obscurus) are listed as Vulnerable because they are slow-growing and reach ages in the region of 40 years (compared with eight years for spot-tail sharks).
