The Greenland shark can live for centuries. The news of the discovery of a 512-year-old shark circulates on the web. But that's not exactly the case. It is true that this species can live very long, even over 500 years on paper, but in reality (at least so far) the oldest known sharks are 335 and 392 years old.
The Greenland shark can live for centuries. The news of the discovery of a 512-year-old shark circulates on the web. But that's not exactly the case. It is true that this species can live very long, even over 500 years on paper, but in reality (at least so far) the oldest known sharks are 335 and 392 years old.
The Greenland shark lives for many centuries, according to a study published in August 2016 in the journal Science. Many of the news circulated referred to this research.
But the scientists' analysis of 28 females did not identify any specimens that lived beyond 5 centuries. However, what has been discovered is very interesting. Ocular tissue analysis suggested that sharks might virtually live 512 years. However, the two largest sharks examined were 335 and 392 years old. The species reaches maturity at around 150 years of age.
These beautiful creatures, whose scientific name is Somniosus microcephalus, are native to the Arctic and the North Atlantic. They can reach a length of 7 meters and weigh up to 1.200 kilograms, second the Greenland Shark and Elasmobranch Education and Research Group (GEERG). It is the largest member of the Somniosidae family and the second largest carnivorous shark after the white shark.
"It reaches enormous size and, despite its lethargic appearance, is a predator capable of very fast sprints, and under certain conditions it can hunt seals and even larger mammals including the beluga whale," the scientists explain.
It is difficult to observe these animals since the environment in which they live is particularly hostile to humans. The first underwater photos of a live specimen were taken in the Arctic in 1995 and the first video images of a shark in its natural environment were taken by the current GEERG team in 2003 in the San Lorenzo estuary, between Canada and United States.
During the study, the scientists used radiocarbon dating to measure the carbon isotopes absorbed by the ocular tissue of Greenland sharks. has been calculated which could potentially survive up to 512 years, but the average life span most likely it was 390 years.
"It is important to keep in mind that there is some uncertainty in this estimate," said Julius Nielsen, author of the study. "But even the lowest part of the age group - at least 272 years old - still makes Greenland sharks the longest-lived vertebrates known to science."
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But as long as they may live, Greenland sharks don't even come close to the longevity of freshwater Hydra polyps. These invertebrates continually regenerate their cells and are thought to be able to live forever in the right conditions.
Francesca Mancuso
