A newborn great white shark was spotted off the coast of Santa Barbara, California
Great white sharks are among the most notable of the ocean's apex predators
The birthing habits of great whites are largely unknown to the scientific community and animals typically carry between two to ten pups at a time
Great white sharks are among the most notable of the ocean's apex predators, but a crucial part of their existence has never before been recorded or seen until now. For years, wildlife photographer and videographer Carlos Gauna has ventured out to spend hours filming sharks in Santa Barbara area. On July 9 last year after spending three years observing sharks he caught images of what is believed to be a newborn great white shark swimming off the coast of Santa Barbara, California. The birthing habits of great whites are largely unknown to the scientific community and from what researchers have observed, animals typically carry between two to ten pups at a time.
The white layer was being shed from the body as it was swimming. According to UC Riverside, Sternes believes it was a newborn white shark shedding its embryonic layer.
Gauna had no idea what he would come across when he set out on July 9 last year after spending three years observing sharks in the Santa Barbara area.
Accuracy
No Contradictions at Time
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Deception
(100%)
None Found At Time Of
Publication
Fallacies
(85%)
The article contains several fallacies. The first is an appeal to authority when it states that the observations have been documented in a new paper featured in the Environmental Biology of Fishes journal. This implies that because something has been published and accepted by a scientific journal, it must be true without any evidence or further investigation required. However, this is not necessarily the case as there may be other factors at play such as peer review bias or funding sources that could influence the results presented in the paper.
The observations have been documented in a new paper featured in the Environmental Biology of Fishes journal,
Bias
(85%)
The article contains a statement that the white substance seen in the footage could have been uterine milk which mother sharks produce to feed their embryos. This is an example of religious bias as it assumes that all great white shark births occur this way and ignores other possibilities.
The usual gray became evident after the layer sloughed off.
Site
Conflicts
Of
Interest (0%)
The article by Sydney Borchers on Fox News reports on the possible sighting of a newborn great white shark in California. The author has multiple conflicts of interest that could compromise their ability to report objectively and impartially.
Great white sharks are among the most notable of the ocean's apex predators, but a crucial part of their existence has never before been recorded or seen until now.
Carlos Gauna caught images of what is believed to be a newborn great white shark swimming off the coast of Santa Barbara, California, last year in what marks the first-ever images of a great white at that stage.
Gauna had no idea what he would come across when he set out on July 9 last year after spending three years observing sharks in the Santa Barbara area.
The birthing habits of great whites are largely unknown to the scientific community. From what researchers have observed, the animals have a gestation period of more than a year and typically carry between two to ten pups at a time.
Accuracy
Gauna suspected that the sharks in this area may be giving birth but when he brought it up to scientists and conducted research, he was mostly told that white sharks will only give birth in deeper waters.
Using the second-to-last battery in his drone, Gauna observed a big, big shark go down underwater around 1000 feet from shore. A few minutes later, this little bitty thing came up from that spot.
Deception
(50%)
The article is deceptive in that it implies the newborn great white shark was caught on camera for the first time. In reality, there have been previous sightings of live newborn great white sharks. The author also makes a claim about the birthing habits of great whites being largely unknown to scientists when this is not entirely true.
The article states that 'for years, wildlife photographer and videographer Carlos Gauna has ventured out to spend hours filming sharks' which implies he was the first person ever to do so. However, there have been previous sightings of live newborn great white sharks.
Fallacies
(85%)
The article contains an informal fallacy known as 'appeals to authority'. The author cites the opinions of scientists without providing any evidence or reasoning for their claims. Additionally, there is a formal fallacy called 'circular reasoning' in the sentence 'From what researchers have observed, the animals have a gestation period of more than a year.' This statement assumes that because it has been observed by researchers, it must be true and does not provide any evidence to support this claim.
]The birthing habits of great whites are largely unknown to the scientific community. From what researchers have observed, the animals have a gestation period of more than a year, with mother sharks typically carrying between two to 10 pups at a time. The animals are ovoviviparous, meaning the eggs containing their embryos hatch within their bodies but later emerge through a live birth after fully developing.
The duo spoke to some scientists who believe that what they observed was a skin condition, but Gauna believes what they witnessed was the newborn shark shedding intrauterine milk.
Bias
(100%)
None Found At Time Of
Publication
Site
Conflicts
Of
Interest (0%)
Li Cohen has a conflict of interest on the topic of great white sharks as they are owned by the University of California, Riverside biology doctoral student Phillip Sternes.
Author
Conflicts
Of
Interest (50%)
Li Cohen has a conflict of interest on the topic of great white sharks as they are part of his research at University of California, Riverside. He also mentions Carlos Gauna who is an expert in marine biology and may have financial ties to companies that profit from studying or exploiting great white sharks.
Carlos Gauna mentioned as an expert in the article
Li Cohen's research on great white shark reproduction
A newborn great white shark pup has been captured on video for the first time ever.
, The finding could contradict the wider belief among scholars that these sharks are born further out to sea.
Further research is needed to confirm whether southern California waters are a great white breeding ground.
Accuracy
No Contradictions at Time
Of
Publication
Deception
(30%)
The article is deceptive in several ways. Firstly, the author claims that this may be the first-ever recorded sighting of a newborn great white shark pup which contradicts previous knowledge about where these sharks breed and gives birth to their young ones.
> The author states that no one has ever been able to pinpoint where great whites give birth, but this is not true. There have been documented sightings of newborn great white shark pups in the past.
Fallacies
(85%)
The article contains several fallacies. The author uses an appeal to authority by citing the findings of a study published in Environmental Biology of Fishes without providing any evidence or context for the research. Additionally, there is no clear distinction between statements made by Rae Hodge and those quoted from other sources, which could lead to confusion about who is responsible for certain assertions. The article also contains an inflammatory statement when it says that many swimmers have
Bias
(85%)
The author uses language that dehumanizes the great white shark by referring to it as a 'holy grail' and describing its birth as a 'mystery'. The use of words like 'monumental' also contributes to this bias. Additionally, the author implies that lawmakers should step in and protect the species based on their findings, which could be seen as an attempt to influence public opinion.
If so, the finding could contradict the wider belief among scholars that these sharks are born further out to sea.
The shark pup may help scientists solve a longstanding mystery about how and where great whites breed
Where white sharks give birth is one of the holy grails of shark science. No one has ever been able to pinpoint where they are born, nor has anyone seen a newborn baby shark alive.
Site
Conflicts
Of
Interest (0%)
The article by Rae Hodge has multiple conflicts of interest. The author is affiliated with the University of California Riverside and may have a professional or financial stake in shark science research. Additionally, the article mentions two individuals who are experts in shark science: Carlos Gauna and Phillip Sternes, which could create personal relationships that compromise objectivity.
Rae Hodge is an affiliate of the University of California Riverside
The article mentions Carlos Gauna and Phillip Sternes as experts in shark science
Author
Conflicts
Of
Interest (0%)
The author has a conflict of interest on the topic of great white shark breeding and milk secretion as they are affiliated with Carlos Gauna who is involved in research related to these topics.
, The duo observed a shark with a pale color that looked like a thin white film covering its body. According to the press release, the whitish film was being sloughed off as the shark swam.
The birthing habits of great whites are largely unknown to the scientific community. From what researchers have observed, the animals have a gestation period of more than a year and typically carry between two to ten pups at a time.
Accuracy
The discovery of this newborn great white shark in Southern California highlights the crucial significance of this region to Eastern Pacific white sharks.
Carlos Gauna and Phillip Sternes believe they have captured the first-ever footage of a newborn great white shark.
Deception
(30%)
The article is deceptive in several ways. Firstly, the title claims that the footage shows a white shark giving birth when it does not. The video only shows a newborn great white shark shedding its embryonic layer as it swam away from the camera.
The article's title is deceptive because it implies that the footage shows a white shark giving birth, but in reality, it does not. The video only shows a newborn great white shark shedding its embryonic layer as it swam away from the camera.
The article claims that this may be the first evidence of a pup in the wild, making this a definitive birthing location. However, there is no clear proof to support this claim.
Fallacies
(75%)
The article contains several logical fallacies. The first is an appeal to authority when the author cites a press release from UC Riverside as evidence for their claims without providing any additional information or context about the source of this information.
Bias
(85%)
The article contains a statement that the discovery of a newborn great white shark is significant because no one has ever seen a newborn baby shark alive. This implies that there may be some sort of bias towards emphasizing the importance of this discovery over other aspects related to great white sharks.
Where white sharks give birth is one of the holy grails of shark science. No one has ever been able to pinpoint where they are born, nor has anyone seen a newborn baby shark alive.
