Interactive threedimensional atlas of the mineralized skeleton of the sand tiger shark Carcharias taurus

Non-invasive computed tomography (CT) of an adult sand tiger shark Carcharias taurus Rafinesque, 1810 is used to provide an interactive three-dimensional 'general' shark (Selachimorpha) anatomy atlas. Given its post-cranial body morphology the sand tiger shark appeared to be a well-chosen...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inRoyal Society open science Vol. 11; no. 5; pp. 1 - 12
Main Authors Winkel, Emil Alexander Byriel, Kristiansen, Rune, Møller, Peter Rask, Lauridsen, Henrik
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published London The Royal Society Publishing 01.01.2024
Subjects
Anatomy
Carcharias taurus
Computed tomography
Endoskeleton
Medical imaging
Mineralization
Morphology
Sand
Sharks
Skeleton
Tomography
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Summary:Non-invasive computed tomography (CT) of an adult sand tiger shark Carcharias taurus Rafinesque, 1810 is used to provide an interactive three-dimensional 'general' shark (Selachimorpha) anatomy atlas. Given its post-cranial body morphology the sand tiger shark appeared to be a well-chosen candidate and through comparison of the sand tiger shark with several other representatives of all eight established orders of sharks, we confirm that the relatively large degree of mineralization of the endoskeleton, along with the overall size, makes the sand tiger shark an ideal candidate for skeletal segmentation and construction of a skeletal atlas using conventional CT. This atlas both increases accessibility to the internal morphological features of the sand tiger shark and provides a more generalized overview of the skeletal anatomy of sharks and can aid as a supplement to destructive fresh dissection of specimens in the future and the construction of future skeletal atlases of other less mineralized sharks.
ISSN:2054-5703
DOI:10.1098/rsos.240287