Bomb dating and age determination of large pelagic sharks
Despite their notoriety and role as apex predators, the longevity of large pelagic sharks such as the porbeagle (Lamna nasus) and shortfin mako (Isurus oxyrinchus) is unknown. Vertebral growth bands provide an accurate indicator of age in young porbeagle, but age validation has never been reported f...
Published in: | Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences |
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2002
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Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/f02-027 http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/doi/pdf/10.1139/f02-027 |
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crcansciencepubl:10.1139/f02-027 2024-06-23T07:54:27+00:00 Bomb dating and age determination of large pelagic sharks Campana, Steven E Natanson, Lisa J Myklevoll, Sigmund 2002 http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/f02-027 http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/doi/pdf/10.1139/f02-027 en eng Canadian Science Publishing http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/page/about/CorporateTextAndDataMining Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences volume 59, issue 3, page 450-455 ISSN 0706-652X 1205-7533 journal-article 2002 crcansciencepubl https://doi.org/10.1139/f02-027 2024-05-24T13:05:50Z Despite their notoriety and role as apex predators, the longevity of large pelagic sharks such as the porbeagle (Lamna nasus) and shortfin mako (Isurus oxyrinchus) is unknown. Vertebral growth bands provide an accurate indicator of age in young porbeagle, but age validation has never been reported for any large shark species past the age of sexual maturity. Here, we report the first application of bomb radiocarbon as an age validation method for long-lived sharks based on date-specific incorporation of radiocarbon into vertebral growth bands. Our results indicate that porbeagle vertebrae recorded and preserved a bomb radiocarbon pulse in growth bands formed during the 1960s. Through comparison of radiocarbon assays in young, known-age porbeagle collected in the 1960s with the corresponding growth bands in old porbeagle collected later, we confirm the validity of porbeagle vertebral growth band counts as accurate annual age indicators to an age of at least 26 years. The radiocarbon signatures of porbeagle vertebral growth bands appear to be temporally and metabolically stable and derived mainly from the radiocarbon content of their prey. Preliminary radiocarbon assays of shortfin mako vertebrae suggest that current methods for determining shortfin mako age are incorrect. Article in Journal/Newspaper Lamna nasus Porbeagle Canadian Science Publishing Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences 59 3 450 455 |
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Open Polar |
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Canadian Science Publishing |
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crcansciencepubl |
language |
English |
description |
Despite their notoriety and role as apex predators, the longevity of large pelagic sharks such as the porbeagle (Lamna nasus) and shortfin mako (Isurus oxyrinchus) is unknown. Vertebral growth bands provide an accurate indicator of age in young porbeagle, but age validation has never been reported for any large shark species past the age of sexual maturity. Here, we report the first application of bomb radiocarbon as an age validation method for long-lived sharks based on date-specific incorporation of radiocarbon into vertebral growth bands. Our results indicate that porbeagle vertebrae recorded and preserved a bomb radiocarbon pulse in growth bands formed during the 1960s. Through comparison of radiocarbon assays in young, known-age porbeagle collected in the 1960s with the corresponding growth bands in old porbeagle collected later, we confirm the validity of porbeagle vertebral growth band counts as accurate annual age indicators to an age of at least 26 years. The radiocarbon signatures of porbeagle vertebral growth bands appear to be temporally and metabolically stable and derived mainly from the radiocarbon content of their prey. Preliminary radiocarbon assays of shortfin mako vertebrae suggest that current methods for determining shortfin mako age are incorrect. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Campana, Steven E Natanson, Lisa J Myklevoll, Sigmund |
spellingShingle |
Campana, Steven E Natanson, Lisa J Myklevoll, Sigmund Bomb dating and age determination of large pelagic sharks |
author_facet |
Campana, Steven E Natanson, Lisa J Myklevoll, Sigmund |
author_sort |
Campana, Steven E |
title |
Bomb dating and age determination of large pelagic sharks |
title_short |
Bomb dating and age determination of large pelagic sharks |
title_full |
Bomb dating and age determination of large pelagic sharks |
title_fullStr |
Bomb dating and age determination of large pelagic sharks |
title_full_unstemmed |
Bomb dating and age determination of large pelagic sharks |
title_sort |
bomb dating and age determination of large pelagic sharks |
publisher |
Canadian Science Publishing |
publishDate |
2002 |
url |
http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/f02-027 http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/doi/pdf/10.1139/f02-027 |
genre |
Lamna nasus Porbeagle |
genre_facet |
Lamna nasus Porbeagle |
op_source |
Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences volume 59, issue 3, page 450-455 ISSN 0706-652X 1205-7533 |
op_rights |
http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/page/about/CorporateTextAndDataMining |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1139/f02-027 |
container_title |
Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences |
container_volume |
59 |
container_issue |
3 |
container_start_page |
450 |
op_container_end_page |
455 |
_version_ |
1802646600051326976 |