Size matters: Sharks follow two-thirds scaling law, proving theory

Originally published by James Cook University, at phys.org, on June 18, 2025 

Edited by Lisa Lock, reviewed by Robert Egan

 
 
                         Credit: James Cook University

A new study has used cutting-edge 3D modeling to confirm that sharks follow the "two-thirds scaling law" almost perfectly, with the discovery set to help reshape how we understand biology across the animal kingdom.

The study has confirmed that when it comes to body size, sharks play by the rules—and it could reshape how we understand biology across the animal kingdom.

For more than a century, scientists have relied on a theory that predicts how an animal's surface area and volume scale with size.

Now, researchers from James Cook University (JCU) and the University of Massachusetts have used cutting-edge 3D modeling to confirm this theory in sharks—one of the ocean's most iconic predators. The paper is published in the journal Royal Society Open Science.

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