X-Rays Reveal a Cartilaginous Skeleton Built for Compression

Inside this shark is no bone strong enough to snap.

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Cartilage is also found in human ears and noses, though not under deep-sea pressure.

Like all sharks, the frilled shark possesses a skeleton made primarily of cartilage rather than bone. Imaging studies show this flexible framework tolerates deep-sea compression without fracturing under pressure.

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Bone can be rigid and brittle under extreme stress, but cartilage bends and redistributes force. In environments exceeding 100 atmospheres, flexibility becomes structural insurance.

The absence of heavy bone also reduces energy demands, aligning with the species’ slow metabolism. Structural softness enables survival where rigidity could fail.

Source

Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute

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