I’ve realized this ever since I was 11 and yet it still confuses me why sharks, particularly great white sharks, only bite or sometimes attack humans out of curiosity. Meanwhile crocodiles will always attack, kill and eat humans when they get the chance, similar to Komodo dragons. What are the biological niches behind all of this?
In: Biology
Part of it has to do with the development of the brain. Evolutionarily speaking, crocodiles are still basically dinosaurs, with very simple brains that are mostly instinct-driven. Sharks, being very very different from crocodiles, have an entirely different nervous system that is far more complex, and allows for things like curiosity.
Basically, everything is food to a croc, but a shark is smart enough to be curious and confused.
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