Common PNW fish, uncommon feature: teeth on its forehead

Earlier this year, researchers at the University of Washington published a paper in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences on the spotted ratfish, sometimes called a ghost shark. It’s one of the most common fish you’ll find in the Puget Sound and it has teeth in an unexpected place. The study’s authors say that, not only is this unusual, but it also tells us something very interesting about evolution.  GUEST:  Karly Cohen, post-doctoral researcher at Friday Harbor Labs RELATED LINKS: PNAS: Teeth outside the jaw: Evolution and development of the toothed head clasper in chimaeras Smithsonian: This Deep-Sea Fish Has Teeth on Its Forehead—and It Uses Them for Sex  University of Washington: This common fish has an uncommon feature: Forehead teeth, used for mating   Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to kuow.org/donate/soundsidenotes Soundside is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.