Scientists crack shark age using DNA for first time

Researchers at the University of Georgia have used epigenetic clocks to estimate shark age from DNA alone for the first time, accurately aging zebra sharks from more than 50 aquarium samples to within two years of their true chronological age. The method requires no harm to the animal, unlike the traditional spine-ring counting that required killing the shark, and could transform how scientists track wild shark populations and assess population health for conservation.