Beached shark ‘like finding a Roman hoard’

The discovery of a rare shark on a Hampshire beach is as valuable as the unearthing of an ancient treasure trove, an expert has said, as calls grew for the return of the head, tail and fin, which were removed before scientists could salvage the carcass.

The 2-metre smalltooth sand tiger shark is normally only seen in warmer waters. Scientists believe the discovery can help them learn more about the species’ develops and behaviour.

“Every time we see a whale breaching or a shark washing up, this is like finding a Roman hoard or Viking daggers,” said Dr Ben Garrod, a professor of evolutionary biology at the University of East Anglia. He told the BBC that studying the carcass could offer an insight into the species’ feeding patterns and water temperatures.

The historian Dan Snow is among those to have called for the missing body parts to be returned – even if only temporarily – to allow scientists to examine them.