Seahorse Posture Mystery Solved
By Matt J. Weiss, May 26, 2009 @ 01:47 PM (EST)
Source: Sciencealert.com.au
Seahorses are among the most readily identifiable inhabitants of the marine world because of their habit of swimming upright. Yet even though seahorses can be found in many areas of the world, up until now, there has been no scientifically proven explanation as to how and why these shy creatures came to adopt their vertical posture.
Now researchers from Macquarie University have solved this marine mystery. Their explanation was published in May in the journal Biology Letters.
Dr Peter Teske and Associate Professor Luciano Beheregaray found that seahorses evolved their upright position largely because of an expansion of seagrass habitats which occurred in Australasia around 20 to 25 million years ago during the Oligocene period. At that time, vast areas of shallow water allowed for the growth and expansion of seagrass – the habitat favoured by the seahorse.
Now researchers from Macquarie University have solved this marine mystery. Their explanation was published in May in the journal Biology Letters.
Dr Peter Teske and Associate Professor Luciano Beheregaray found that seahorses evolved their upright position largely because of an expansion of seagrass habitats which occurred in Australasia around 20 to 25 million years ago during the Oligocene period. At that time, vast areas of shallow water allowed for the growth and expansion of seagrass – the habitat favoured by the seahorse.
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