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“Ghost sharks” are lurking off the coast of Washington — and they have teeth growing between their eyes It’s easy to assume that teeth always grow inside mouths, yet a new study has revealed that some animals – such as the spotted ratfish (Hydrolagus colliei) – grow them elsewhere. Sometimes referred to as ‘ghost sharks’, adult male spotted ratfish have strange-looking hooked protrusions that appear on a head structure called the tenaculum, which the fish use to grasp mates during reproduction. The new research suggests that these protrusions are real teeth, and not merely lookalikes as previously assumed. “This insane, absolutely spectacular feature flips the long-standing assumption in evolutionary biology that teeth are strictly oral structures,” says Karly Cohen, a researcher at the University of Washington’s Friday Harbor Labs. “The tenaculum is a developmental relic, not a bizarre one-off, and the first clear example of a toothed structure outside the jaw.” The study, published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, says that these teeth develop from the same tissue responsible for oral teeth. The discovery suggests tooth-forming cells may have migrated outside the mouth early in evolution, adding to our understanding of how dental structures evolved. Spotted ratfish belong to an ancient group of cartilaginous fish called chimaeras, which split from sharks on the evolutionary tree millions of years ago. They measure about two feet in length and are named for the long slender tails that make up half of their body length. Only adult males develop the tenaculum, a white, peanut-shaped appendage between their eyes that becomes hooked and barbed during courtship. “Sharks don’t have arms, but they need to mate underwater,” says Cohen. “So, a lot of them have developed grasping structures to connect themselves to a mate during reproduction.” The adult male spotted ratfish is a relative of modern sharks and one of the most abundant fish species in Puget Sound – a large ocean inlet off the west coast of Washington. To uncover the tenaculum’s origins, researchers caught and analyzed hundreds of ratfish from the waters around San Juan Island in Puget Sound, a large ocean inlet off the west coast of Washington, USA. They used micro-CT scans and tissue samples to track the structure’s development and compared their findings with fossils of related species. The scans revealed that both male and female ratfish begin growing a tenaculum early in life, but only males develop it fully. “When we saw the dental lamina for the first time, our eyes popped,” Cohen says. “It was so exciting to see this crucial structure outside the jaw.” The dental lamina, a tissue layer responsible for producing new teeth, is typically found only in the mouth. Its presence in the tenaculum, alongside genetic evidence, confirmed these were true teeth, not the hardened skin denticles that cover many sharks and rays. “We have a combination of experimental data with paleontological evidence to show how these fishes coopted a preexisting program for manufacturing teeth to make a new device that is essential for reproduction,” says Michael Coates, professor at the University of Chicago and co-author of the study. Gareth Fraser, senior author and professor at the University of Florida, says the discovery highlights the diversity of dental structures through history. “If these strange chimaeras are sticking teeth on the front of their head, it makes you think about the dynamism of tooth development more generally.” Cohen adds, “Chimaeras offer a rare glimpse into the past. I think the more we look at spiky structures on vertebrates, the more teeth we are going to find outside the jaw.”

Get ready to be a-maized as the Corn Fest returns to the Queens County Farm beginning on Saturday, September 6. The event will feature the grand opening of the Amazing Maize Maze, a 3-acre corn maze sponsored by Con Edison. The family-friendly event, at 73-50 Little Neck Pkwy., Floral Park, includes a fun-filled corn-themed day from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., with activities, games, and food. The maze will also be open, giving guests a first chance to explore it and enjoy some early fall fun.

This Filipino Drink With Ginger and Honey Has Been a Cure-All for Generations APPLE.NEWS The spicy tonic has been a cure-all in the Philippines for generations. SALABAT

We Asked Home Cooks Their Secret to the Most Successful Hash Browns—and They Said the Same Thing APPLE.NEWS The best home-cooked hash browns are made with love, of course—but there are a few important...

Orcas are ramming boats again and scientists now think it’s a game Experts say the whales seem to learn to play with boats from a young age. "Believe me: if they wanted to sink the boats, they'd be sinking the boat." Orcas are ramming boats again and scientists now think it’s a game APPLE.NEWS Experts say the whales seem to learn to play with boats from a young age. "Believe me: if they wanted to sink...

Photos: Fresh Pond Road Street Festival kicks off in Ridgewood – QNS QNS.COM The Fresh Pond Road Street Festival returned to Ridgewood on Thursday, Sept. 4, and will be running through...

nytimes.com WWW.NYTIMES.COM Is Partying Dead, or Are You Just Old?

he has caused quite a kerfuffle in the NBA this week, uncovering a possible attempt to circumvent the salary cap by the richest owner in sports, Steve Ballmer.

The clean up

'So smart, such good storytelling': Actress Martha Plimpton on the new show 'Task' APPLE.NEWS Award-winning actress Martha Plimpton joins Morning Joe to discuss the new HBO show 'Task'.

We've all been pronouncing Denzel Washington's name wrong this whole time wash-ING-ton, perhaps?

He is married to the film's director Roshan Sethi. I enjoyed the film.

The Day the Cereal Aisle Stopped Being Magical APPLE.NEWS Once a highlight of childhood grocery trips, the cereal aisle has become a place where fun mascots and sugar...

https://www.aol.com/lifestyle/meet-albert-fattest-polar-bear-150544218.html Polar bears are built big, but one in Alaska has taken that reputation to new heights. In the small town of Kaktovik, locals know him as Fat Albert, a bear who has captured attention simply because of his enormous size. At nearly 680 kilograms (1,500 pounds), Albert dwarfs the average polar bear, which weighs closer to 450 kilograms (990 pounds). His oversized frame makes him stand out even in a place where bears are a daily sight. Though not the heaviest ever recorded, Albert’s story has reached far beyond the Arctic.

UH-OH! @MikeBiDude is gonna have to do some kiss-it-and-make-it-feel-bettering: Los Angeles Dodgers All-Star catcher William Dills Smith has exited Wednesday’s game against the Pittsburgh Pirates with an apparent hand injury. Smith took a foul ball off his hand in the bottom of the second inning. He was replaced by catcher Dalton Rushing as a pinch hitter in the top of the third.

The man charged in the deadly shooting of an 11-year-old Texas boy was “waiting in the shadows” as the child and his cousin played a “ding-dong ditch” prank on his Houston home, police said. The suspect followed the boys as they ran away before he opened fire, according to Houston Police Sgt. Michael Cass, the lead detective on the case. Cass told CBS News the suspect was “waiting in the shadows in his own side yard behind a fence” after the boy and his cousin knocked on his door Saturday night and ran away. The boy, identified by police as Julian Guzman, was attending a family gathering about a block away in the east Houston neighborhood, and after getting bored, decided to go with his 10-year-old cousin and play ding-dong ditch, in which pranksters ring the doorbell or knock on the door of a home and then run away. Police said the two cousins had knocked three times on the suspect’s door within a span of about 15 minutes. On the third knock, the cousins ran as fast as they could, but the homeowner was waiting behind the fence in his yard. Guzman was recording the incident on his phone, police said, showing himself knocking and running. Shots are heard on the video, police said, and there is audio of the boy gasping. Guzman’s cousin told police he didn’t know what to do, only what he had seen in movies, so he tried to pick him up. The boys appeared as children, “not threatening in any way,” Cass said. Guzman was wounded when police arrived at the scene and taken to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead on Sunday, police said. Gonzalo Leon Jr., 42, has been charged with murder and booked into the Harris County jail, according to online records. A judge set Leon’s bond at $1 million Wednesday “due to the ongoing investigation and potential upgrade of the charges.” Police said Leon is a former Army veteran who was deployed and spent time in the reserves. He was disabled in combat and honorably discharged, his defense attorney said at his court appearance Wednesday. A handgun, 20 other guns and tactical and smoke grenades were found during a search of his home, police said. “Looked like he may have been a collector of firearms,” Cass said. Police said they found Leon at a hotel in La Porte, Texas, with a packed car. The hotel room was booked for three days, Cass said. Leon, his wife and 2-year-old child went to the hotel because media was surrounding their home, his defense attorney said.

Fountain of the Fairs in Flushing Meadows Corona Park on the fritz, awaiting repairs – QNS QNS.COM It looks like one of the city’s most famous fountains, or at least water fixtures, is on the fritz after a...

Rogers Burgers is one of Flatbush’s newest dining spots, serving up a Caribbean twist on classic American fast food. The burger joint, at 801 Rogers Ave., has been serving up burgers layered with ingredients familiar to the predominantly Caribbean neighborhood of Flatbush such as jerk, curry and pikliz (a pickled slaw). The inspiration to mix island fare with typical American fast food delights is because the owners are children of West Indian immigrants, exposed to a broader American culture. “Part of that is eating burgers that’s a better quality than what’s being offered here,” said co-founder, Josue Pierre, who is of Haitian descent and a Flatbush native. Their top two top selling menu items include the Creole Burger, packed with flavorful Haitian pikliz and the Yard Burger, a beef patty on a brioche bun with cheddar cheese and jerk-flavored aioli. Rogers Burgers Puts a Tropical Twist on Fast Food Staples - BKReader WWW.BKREADER.COM Rogers Burgers is one of the latest restaurants in Flatbush offering a Caribbean twist on the ubiquitous...

10 Bottom-Shelf Bourbons You'll Actually Want To Drink APPLE.NEWS There are plenty of bottom-shelf bourbons you should steer clear of. But when it comes to these 10...

10 Foods That Help You Poop https://www.aol.com/10-foods-help-poop-according-160000602.html

14 Vintage Chicken Dishes No One Seems To Make Anymore APPLE.NEWS Though once incredibly popular, these chicken dishes have fallen out of fashion for various reasons, but...

something akin to the recent air strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities

One fish, two fish, red fish — orange shark? Scientists came across a bright orange shark in the wild whose creamsicle-colored skin was pigmented by two genetic conditions that are exceedingly rare among the predators of the deep. The first-of-its-kind shark was found during a fishing trip in Costa Rica’s Tortuguero National Park in August 2024, according to a recently published science journal report. The dutiful researchers photographed the beauty before swiftly releasing it. Scientists lauded the discovery and said it’s the first and only time an orange shark has ever been recorded, according to a report published in the Marine Biodiversity journal. The nurse shark, which is commonly found in Costa Rica’s coastal marine parks, was apparently born with xanthism, a genetic condition that results in the loss of darker pigmentation and makes lighter ones like oranges and yellows more prominent. The orange wonder, which resembles an oversized, colorful koi fish more than a feared sea beast, is a double rarity as scientists noted it likely also has albinism — another genetic condition that dampens the body’s production of melanin and leaves many physical features stark white. In the shark’s case, its eyes were a pasty white with “no visible irises,” scientists wrote. The unique combination of the two conditions paved the way for the shark’s jaw-dropping pigment. Scientists also suggested environmental factors could have contributed to its vibrant hue, including inbreeding, stress and hormonal imbalances. The average nurse shark usually has light brown skin, which helps them blend in with their surroundings, and beady black eyes surrounded by a white cornea. They also have little vampiric tusks poking out of their upper lip and use suction to tear into their prey, rather than strong jaws and razor-sharp teeth other kinds of sharks are known for. The scientists don’t believe the genetic variations will have any impact on the shark’s lifespan since it has already reached adulthood, even though it lacks the crucial camouflage ability. Albinism, while rare in sharks, has been recorded more consistently in other species, both on land and in the sea. In April, an Iowa family encountered a pair of albino deer while celebrating their son’s 13th birthday. They at first mistook the duo for llamas before more deer with normal pigmentation pulled up the rear of the herd. A small mob of albino kangaroos was taken in by an animal sanctuary in Australia, nearly outnumbering the normal kangaroos, who didn’t bat an eye at their companions’ apparent differences.