Why are sharks so awesome? - Tierney Thys

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Sharks have been celebrated as powerful gods by some native cultures. And today, sharks are recognized as apex predators of the world’s ocean. What is it that makes these fish worthy of our ancient legends and so successful in the seas? Tierney Thys takes us into the ocean to find out.


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About TED-Ed Animations

TED-Ed Animations feature the words and ideas of educators brought to life by professional animators. Are you an educator or animator interested in creating a TED-Ed Animation? Nominate yourself here »

Meet The Creators

  • Educator Tierney Thys
  • Director Franz Palomares
  • Script Editor Emma Bryce
  • Animation Artist Josephine Mark
  • Composer David Obuchowski, Brett Bamberger
  • Narrator Pen-Pen Chen
Additional Resources for you to Explore
This short TED-Ed lesson barely scratches the surface of how phenomenal sharks are. For additional shark wow facts, check out Ed Yong’s post: Like Shark Week, But With Actual Facts.

Here’s another interesting fact about sharks: Sharks have recently been discovered to be one of the longest, if not THE longest living vertebrate. Take a look at this article: Greenland shark may live 400 years, smashing longevity record to learn more. Amazing, isn’t it?

Interested in how sharks use their skin like an external tendon? Read this paper: Shark skin: function in locomotion by Wainwright SA, Vosburgh F, Hebrank JH. C. Click here for a look at the article’s abstract.

Finally, take a deep dive into all things shark, check out this textbook: The Biology of Sharks and Rays.

Customize this lesson

Create and share a new lesson based on this one.

About TED-Ed Animations

TED-Ed Animations feature the words and ideas of educators brought to life by professional animators. Are you an educator or animator interested in creating a TED-Ed Animation? Nominate yourself here »

Meet The Creators

  • Educator Tierney Thys
  • Director Franz Palomares
  • Script Editor Emma Bryce
  • Animation Artist Josephine Mark
  • Composer David Obuchowski, Brett Bamberger
  • Narrator Pen-Pen Chen

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