Imagine discovering a creature that could be as old as 500 years, swimming in the depths of the ocean. This is exactly what you find with the Greenland shark, a species now recognized as the longest-lived vertebrate in the world.
Julius Nielsen, a marine biologist at the University of Copenhagen, led a research team that made this groundbreaking discovery. They found a Greenland shark that was at least 272 years old, possibly even reaching 500 years in age, surpassing the previous record held by a 211-year-old bowhead whale.
Determining the age of many fish is done by counting the growth layers in calcium carbonate “stones” found in their ears, similar to counting tree rings. However, sharks don’t have these earstones. Additionally, the Greenland shark lacks other calcium-rich tissues suitable for this method. Instead, scientists used a different technique: examining the lenses in their eyes.
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