The oldest living vertebrate on Earth is this 512-year-old greenland shark.

   

aIt’s hard to imagine anything still alive that was born in 1505. That was the year that Martin Luther became a monk and King Henry VIII called off his engagement with Catherine of Aragon… in short, a bloody long time ago.

But that’s exactly what scientists believe they have found in the form of one massive Greenland shark swimming in the icy waters of the Arctic Ocean.

The shark is estimated to be up to 512 years old, which would make it the oldest living vertebrate in the world and even older than Shakespeare. And you thought turning 30 made you ancient.

Greenland sharks have been known to live for hundreds of years and spend most of their lives swimming around looking for a mate. That’s a long time to wait.

They also grow at a rate of one centimetre a year, enabling scientists to determine their age by measuring their size.

This particular shark, one of 28 Greenland sharks to be analysed by the scientists, was measured at 18 feet in length and weighed over a tonne, meaning it could be anywhere between 272 and 512 years old.

The shark’s potential age was revealed in a study in the Science journal, according to the Sun.

If scientists have got the shark’s age right, it would have been alive during major historical events like the founding of the US, the Industrial Revolution and both World Wars. Crikey.

Greenland sharks mostly eat fish but have never actually been observed hunting. Some have even been found to have reindeer and even horse remains in their stomachs. The animal is a delicacy in Norway but its flesh is poisonous if not treated properly.

Because of their longevity, academics in Norway believe that the bones and tissues of Greenland sharks may give us insight into the impact of climate change and pollution over a long period of history.

Oldest Shark in the World – 512 Year Old Greenland Shark

Researchers at the Arctic University of Norway are currently mapping the animal’s DNA, looking at its genes to learn more about what determines life expectancy in different species, including humans.

As many of the sharks pre-date the Industrial Revolution and large-scale commercial fishing, the sharks have even been called ‘living time capsules’ that could help shed light on how human behaviour impacts the oceans.

“The longest living vertebrate species on the planet has formed several populations in the Atlantic Ocean,” said Professor Kim Praebel at a symposium organised by the Fisheries Society of the British Isles.

“This is important to know, so we can develop appropriate conservation actions for this important species.”

Related Posts

Discovering a lost treasure under a mythological snake’s protection in a desert terrain.

Embarking on a tһгіɩɩіпɡ treasure һᴜпt, adventurers discovered an іпсгedіЬɩe amount of gold! Guided by a fascinating ɩeɡeпd and aided by a guardian snake, they uncovered unimaginable…

Golden Temptation: The Allure of the Greatest Hidden Treasure of Ancient Rome.

Aпd it was so that iп the process of exchaпgiпg views oп the materials pυblished iп the HE, it tυrпed oυt that qυite a sigпificaпt part of…

If there were giaпts, where did they go?-davinci

I have always beeп fasciпated by the stories of giaпts, the giaпt iп Jack aпd the Beaпstalk, the giaпt laпterп geпie iп the tales of the Thoυsaпd…

Uпveiliпg History: Qiпg Dyпasty Female Corpse Uпearthed iп Jiпgzhoυ Lυjiaoshaп Tomb.-davinci

The bυilders were carryiпg oυt excavatioп works wheп they came across the maп’s body, dressed iп fiпe fabrics aпd laid to rest with his favoυrite faп. The…

The intelligent dog traveling via a mystical portal to a priceless find

Join the іпсгedіЬɩe tale of Chon, a dog turned treasure hunter. His precious find сарtᴜгed hearts. Chon, once a пeɡɩeсted and аЬапdoпed гeѕсᴜe dog, found himself on…

Iп the heart of history: A 17th-ceпtυry Freпch coυple’s romaпtic tale comes to light as they are discovered bυried with each other’s hearts.-davinci

T𝚛𝚊𝚍𝚎𝚍 H𝚎𝚊𝚛ts B𝚎𝚏𝚘𝚛𝚎 B𝚎iп𝚐 B𝚞𝚛i𝚎𝚍     IN 2013, RESEARCHERS EXCAVATING A c𝚘пʋ𝚎пt iп R𝚎пп𝚎s, F𝚛𝚊пc𝚎 𝚍𝚞𝚐 𝚞𝚙 𝚊 357-𝚢𝚎𝚊𝚛-𝚘l𝚍* l𝚎𝚊𝚍 c𝚘𝚏𝚏iп. Iпsi𝚍𝚎, th𝚎𝚢 𝚏𝚘𝚞п𝚍 𝚊 st𝚛ikiп𝚐l𝚢 w𝚎ll-𝚙𝚛𝚎s𝚎𝚛ʋ𝚎𝚍…

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *