Localized zinc distribution in shark vertebrae suggests differential deposition during ontogeny and across vertebral structures.

ABSTRACT: The development of shark vertebrae and the possible drivers of inter- and intra-specific differences in vertebral structure are poorly understood. Shark vertebrae are used to examine life-history traits related to trophic ecology, movement patterns, and the management of fisheries; a better understanding of their development would be beneficial to many fields of research that rely on these calcified structures. This study used Scanning X-ray Fluorescence Microscopy to observe zinc distribution within vertebrae of ten shark species from five different orders. Zinc was mostly localised within the intermedialis and was generally detected at levels an order of magnitude lower in the corpus calcareum. In most species, zinc concentrations were higher pre-birth mark, indicating a high rate of pre

SUBMITTER: Raoult V 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5764331 | biostudies-literature | 2018

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature