Shark+Braincase

=Xanthe's Shark Braincase=

We had a few clues:

 * ====It looked like a skull - it had an exit hole at the back for a spinal chord.====
 * ====The hole faced backwards rather than downwards - suggested an animal with a horizontal spine.====
 * ====It was spongey and flexible l - it felt like cartilage.====
 * ====We knew some fish skeletons are made of cartilage instead of bone.====
 * ====It was found on a beach.====

fish+skull+cartilage ====Bingo! up popped the image below image which looked====
 * [[image:google2.jpg width="319" height="138"]] || In Google Images we typed...

... a photograph of shark's //chondrocranium// or **braincase**.
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 * ====[[image:P1270259.JPG width="400" height="274"]]====

Visit **[|this site]** to see the braincase in more detail.
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smell.
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 * [[image:smooth-dogfish-shark.jpg width="403" height="293"]]

For the shark, a skeleton made of cartilage has lots of advantages:

 * ====cartilage is lighter, stronger and more flexible than bone.====
 * ====A lighter skeleton prevents the shark from sinking.====
 * ====A flexible skelteton allows the shark to turn in tighter circles====

when hunting prey.
|| ==The Shark's Sixth Sense==

Heaps more information about sharks **[|here]**
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