So why do sharks have the tail that goes up and down but whales have the tail that goes side to side. Is there an actual reason for it or is something that just kinda happened?
In: Biology
Whales are mammals, and our mammal bodies have a spine that articulates (moves) up and down. Try wiggling side-to-side like a fish in water. You’ll drown. They had to compensate with what evolution already gave them, so a tail to flattens out horizontally will provide the most propulsion while accommodating for the spine to move up and down like any other mammal.
Sharks don’t have this problem, and side to side is actually more efficient in water. Because they never moved on land, they move side to side when swimming too be able to use their entire body to move.
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