What question did this study set out to answer?

To reconstruct historical shark community baselines and evaluate their responses to human exploitation across differing oceanographic regimes.

August 15, 2026ScienceOpen Access

Fossil denticles reveal how ocean productivity shapes shark baselines and recovery potential

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Authors

EDErin DillonSmithsonian Institution DMDouglas J. McCauleyUniversity of California, Santa Barbara MGMigdonio GonzalezSmithsonian Tropical Research Institute

Discussion

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Implication

Paleoecological analysis uncovers ocean productivity drives shark carrying capacity and resilience across Panamanian reefs, highlighting the need for ecosystem-specific conservation targets.

Key Points

To reconstruct historical shark community baselines and evaluate their responses to human exploitation across differing oceanographic regimes.
Analyzed fossil dermal denticles extracted from coral reef sediments across the Pacific and Caribbean sides of the Isthmus of Panama.
Compared shark assemblages prior to significant human exploitation (~7 to 3 ka) with modern assemblages from the past century.
Pacific reefs sustained an ~20-fold higher baseline shark abundance than Caribbean reefs prior to human exploitation.
Caribbean shark populations, predominantly pelagic species, declined by 75% since the mid-Holocene, whereas Pacific populations persisted despite facing higher fishing pressure.

Cite This Study

Dillon et al. (2026) studied this question.

synapsesocial.com/papers/6a80194675c2e31742c854d2 https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aec2144

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August 15, 2026ScienceOpen Access

Fossil denticles reveal how ocean productivity shapes shark baselines and recovery potential

View Full Paper

Ask AI

Bookmark

Authors

EDErin DillonSmithsonian Institution DMDouglas J. McCauleyUniversity of California, Santa Barbara MGMigdonio GonzalezSmithsonian Tropical Research Institute

Discussion

Member takes

Implication

Paleoecological analysis uncovers ocean productivity drives shark carrying capacity and resilience across Panamanian reefs, highlighting the need for ecosystem-specific conservation targets.

Key Points

To reconstruct historical shark community baselines and evaluate their responses to human exploitation across differing oceanographic regimes.
Analyzed fossil dermal denticles extracted from coral reef sediments across the Pacific and Caribbean sides of the Isthmus of Panama.
Compared shark assemblages prior to significant human exploitation (~7 to 3 ka) with modern assemblages from the past century.
Pacific reefs sustained an ~20-fold higher baseline shark abundance than Caribbean reefs prior to human exploitation.
Caribbean shark populations, predominantly pelagic species, declined by 75% since the mid-Holocene, whereas Pacific populations persisted despite facing higher fishing pressure.

Cite This Study

Dillon et al. (2026) studied this question.

synapsesocial.com/papers/6a80194675c2e31742c854d2 https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aec2144

View Full Paper

Ask AI

Bookmark