Age and Growth of Sharks

History and Mystery of Age and Growth Studies in Elasmobranchs

Tuesday, February 5, 2019

UPDATE: Published and available online (Amazon.com).

Chapter 10 - History and Mystery of Age and Growth Studies in Elasmobranchs - makes an overview of the various ways in which the age and growth of elasmobranchs has been estimated and validated, along with the pitfalls of previous studies and future directions. Natanson et al. 2018 Chapter 10 Contents Only.pdf

Bomb radiocarbon dating is covered with recent developments regarding the loss of information in shark vertebrae due to growth cessation. See studies on sand tiger and sandbar sharks. 

Example of an extraction series using a micromill on the vertebra of a 9 year old sand tiger shark where bomb radiocarbon was used to understand age and growth. Pre- and post extraction (A-B). See sand tiger shark study for details.