‘Longest-Living’ Shark Found In The Arctic Ocean Has Been Alive Since 1627

By maks in Animals On 1st November 2024
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According to experts, the 'longest-living' shark, which has been around since 1627, can be found swimming in the Arctic Ocean.

In 2016, researchers began a detailed study on Greenland sharks, which are considered the longest-living vertebrates on Earth, as confirmed by scientists.

Amazingly, during their research, they found a shark that had been navigating these icy waters since 1627.

But how did they manage to determine the age of such an ancient creature?

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The team used a technique called radiocarbon dating to figure out the ages of 28 Greenland sharks they were studying.

This method led to an incredible finding – one female shark in the group was determined to be roughly 400 years old.

Julius Nielsen, the lead author of the study and a marine biologist from the University of Copenhagen, commented: 

The Greenland shark roams in the Arctic ocean Getty Stock Photo

"We had our expectations that we were dealing with an unusual animal, but I think everyone doing this research was very surprised to learn the sharks were as old as they were."

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For a long time, it was believed that it would be impossible to find out the age of Greenland sharks.

This was because researchers typically look at growth layers in the tissue found on the backbones of sharks, like the Great White, to estimate age.

Speaking to the BBC, Nielsen said: "But the Greenland shark is a very, very soft shark - it has no hard body parts where growth layers are deposited. So it was believed that the age could not be investigated."

Even though many experts thought it could never be done, the research team discovered an innovative way to solve the age mystery of the Greenland shark.

While explaining the process, Nielsen said: "The Greenland shark's eye lens is composed of a specialised material - and it contains proteins that are metabolically inert."

"Which means after the proteins have been synthesised in the body, they are not renewed any more. So we can isolate the tissue that formed when the shark was a pup, and do radiocarbon dating."

Although radiocarbon dating does not provide an exact age, even the lowest estimates proved just how ancient this shark was.

Nielsen further added: "Even with the lowest part of this uncertainty, 272 years, even if that is the maximum age, it should still be considered the longest-living vertebrate,"

The astonishingly long life of this shark caught the attention of Reddit users, sparking some humorous comments along the way.

One Redditor joked: "That guy has no idea how much stuff has happened on land since 1627. It's a TON of stuff,"

Another user added: "Bro looks tired af,", while a third chimed in with: "Can't believe I feel bad for a shark. Imagine humans would not die we would go insane lol."