In Iceland, a bivalve mollusk of the species Arctica islandica, which was considered the oldest animal on the planet: from the rings on the inside of the shell, experts determined that Ming (the mollusk was named after the dynasty of Chinese emperors who ruled from 1368 to 1644) was born 405 years ago. Recently, scientists admitted that they made a mistake when calculating the age of the long-lived mollusk - in fact, Min is 102 years older.
Experts explain the miscalculation by the fact that some annual rings are too thin and could not be seen immediately. Radiocarbon dating confirms new data: Ming lived for more than five centuries, which was not least facilitated by the very slow metabolism of the animal.
Unfortunately, the mollusk died in 2006, several years short of finding out its real age, but the study of its shell continues: by studying the thickness of the annual rings, scientists hope to determine fluctuations in the temperature of the World Ocean over the past five centuries. In addition, experts are studying other representatives of the Arctica islandica species in order to find similar long-livers among them.
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Below is a list of the ten longest living animals on Earth. If you know of other long-lived animals or we made a mistake, be sure to let us know in the comments. So.
Depending on the breed, content and environment, the modern domesticated horse has a lifespan of 25 to 30 years. Although there is a known case related to 19th century- the oldest horse named “Old Billy” died at the age of 62. A recent documented example was the horse Sugar Puff, who died at the age of 57 in 2007.
Asian or Indian elephant is the second largest land animal after the savannah elephant. They are considered one of the most dangerous herbivores in the world. Their lifespan is wildlife averages 60 years, in captivity 80.
These rather large parrots, ranging from 30 to 70 cm in length, live in Australia. They are considered the most fun and interesting parrots to keep indoors. They become very attached to the person who cares for them and pays attention to them. They can live 60–80 years in captivity.
The hatteria is a reptile that lives on several small islands in New Zealand. The only modern representative of the ancient order of beaked heads (extinct approximately 65 million years ago). The body weight of the tuateria reaches 1.3 kg and its length is 76 cm. Average duration life in captivity is 60 years, but they can live 100, and according to some scientists in the wild, up to 200 years.
Koi carp are used for ornamental purposes in outdoor ponds or water gardens. Very popular in East Asia, especially in Japan. They are considered one of the most beautiful fish on the planet. They grow up to 90 cm or more, and their lifespan is 100–200 years.
Fifth place on the list of ten long-lived animals is occupied by the Red sea urchin - an animal that lives in shallow waters in the Pacific Ocean from Alaska to California, usually off rocky shores. Their spherical body is completely covered with sharp spines, which can grow up to 8 cm. The average lifespan of a red sea urchin exceeds 30 years, but scientists have discovered several specimens that are more than 200 years old.
The Greenland shark is widespread in the North Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Greenland and Iceland. It is believed that their lifespan is more than 200 years, although it is difficult to give an exact figure. It is one of the creatures that can survive in extreme conditions.
The elephant tortoise is an endemic species found only in the Galapagos Islands in the Pacific Ocean. Known as largest turtle on the ground. Adults reach a weight of more than 400 kg and a length of more than 1.8 m. Although it is not known exactly, their average lifespan, according to scientists, can reach more than 200 years. All captured individuals lived in captivity for at least 170 years.
The bowhead whale is a large mammal that lives in the Arctic Ocean. The bowhead whale can grow up to 20 m in length and weigh about 100 tons, this figure is the second among animals after blue whale. The average lifespan is 60 to 70 years, similar to other whales. However, individual individuals, as studies have shown, can live about 210 years.
Arctica islandica is a species of mollusk that lives in the northern part of the Atlantic and in the waters of the Arctic oceans. In 2007, studies conducted on several specimens of this mollusk found off the coast of Iceland showed that they were between 405 and 410 years old. The species was later confirmed to have a maximum lifespan of over 500 years, making it the longest living known animal on Earth.
This woman is the oldest inhabitant of our planet: Frenchwoman Jeanne Calment was born on 02/21/1875 and died on 08/04/1997, having lived 122 years 164 days. During her life, two World Wars passed, the first man flew into space, the Internet was invented, but for some representatives of the fauna this age is only half, or even a third of life. Do you want to know which long-lived animals are for?
1. 122 years old – Bowhead whale 
The length of the bowhead whale can reach 20 meters, and its weight, second only to that of the blue whale, varies between 75-100 tons. The mammal's habitat is exclusively Arctic and subarctic waters, unlike other species of whales that migrate to other places. Unfortunately, this species of whale is classified as "endangered".
2. 125 years old – sturgeon 
Sturgeons (family Acipenseridae) are one of the oldest families of bony fish. Habitat: subtropical, temperate and subarctic zones: off the coast of North America and Eurasia, in lakes and rivers. Typically, the sturgeon grows up to 2-3 meters in length, occasionally up to 5.5 meters. In April of this year, employees of the Department natural resources State of Wisconsin, a 125-year-old individual weighing 108 kg and 2.2 meters in length was caught, tagged, and then released. (Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources)
3. 149 years old – Atlantic bighead 
Atlantic bigheads live at a depth of 180-1800 meters in the waters of the eastern part of the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, in the western part Pacific Ocean, as well as off the coast of Chile. The bright red color of the fish after death is replaced by a yellowish or orange tint. The oldest representative of this species lived to be 149 years old.
4. 168 years – Guidak 
The geoduck is a very large edible mollusk belonging to the family Hiatellidae. Habitat: West coast of North America (mainly Washington state and British Columbia). Although not particularly popular until the 1970s, shellfish have recently become popular in Asian markets, causing their prices to skyrocket. The oldest specimen of the geoduck was 168 years old. (Seattle PI)
5. 170 years – Lamellibrachia luymesi 
The habitat of this species of tube worms, belonging to the family Siboglinidae, is the deep water of the northern part of the Gulf of Mexico (500-800 m). The worm, which grows quite slowly, can reach 3 meters in length. (Charles Fisher)
6. 200 years – Red sea urchin 
Although this type of hedgehog is called "red", their color ranges from orange and pink to almost black. It lives in shallow waters (maximum 90 m) off rocky shores in the waters of the Pacific Ocean (from Alaska to Baja California). Sharp spines, reaching a length of up to 8 cm, completely cover the round body of the hedgehog. (Kirt L. Onthank)
7. 210-250 years – European pearl oyster 
Refers to rare species freshwater pearl mussels (family Margaritiferidae), which produce pearls of excellent quality that are harvested by humans. Recently, Russian scientist Valery Zyuganov made a discovery: this type of mollusk has no signs of aging, and their maximum life expectancy reaches 210-250 years. (Joel Berglund)
8. 226 years old – koi carp Hanako 
Koi carp are a variety of beautiful domesticated carp that are bred for decorative purposes in garden ponds. Varieties of koi carp vary in size, scale pattern and color. The most common colors are black, white, yellow, cream, blue and yellow. Age is determined in the same way as for trees: by the number of rings located on the scales of most fish. Thanks to this method, the age of the oldest koi carp, Hanako, who died at the age of 226, was determined. (Stan Shebs)
9. 256 years old – Giant turtle 
One of the oldest animals on the planet is a 250-kilogram male giant tortoise named Advaita (translated from Sanskrit as “one and only”), who lived in the Calcutta Zoo (India). As historical data testify, Advaita was the pet of Robert Clive, a British general from the East India Company, living for several years on the territory of his mansion. About 130 years ago, Advaita was transferred to the Calcutta Zoo, and died in 2006.
10. 507 years old – bivalve mollusk of the species Arctica islandica 
This species of bivalves, belonging to the family Arcticidae, lives in the waters of the North Atlantic Ocean at a depth of 7-400 meters. They collect shellfish for food. Two individuals of bivalves lived to be 375 and 507 years old. (Manfred Heyde)
Original taken from masterok c An autopsy showed that death was caused by an autopsy.
This is what it is - SCIENCE.
Scientists killed the oldest animal on Earth while trying to find out its age
Biologists from the UK and the USA have established the age of the oldest animal. The clam, found off the northern coast of Iceland in 2006, was 507 years old when it died. The research results were published in the journal Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology, short description articles by scientists are cited by ScienceNordic
several animals whose lifespan exceeded 300 years, and one at 507 years old, which became the oldest known on this moment non-colonial animals whose age at the time of death could be accurately determined, according to an article published by the testers in the journal Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology.
Until now, the oldest mollusk and the oldest animal in general, according to the Guinness Book, was considered to be a 220-year-old seaworthy bivalve mollusk, found in 1982. However, Arctic mollusks have already surpassed them.
A team led by Paul Butler from the British University of Bangor discovered the Methuselah clam back in 2006 off the northern coast of Iceland. Scientists collected mollusks and their shells in order to study their structure and reconstruct climate changes over the past hundreds of years, as if from the annual rings of trees.
Scientists studied the bivalves Arctica islandica, known for their longevity. The growth of their shells depends on how favorable environmental conditions are and how accessible food is, so the annual layers on them can tell about climate change. As a result, scientists actually managed to obtain a long series of data extending 1.35 thousand years into the past, but in one case they were still mistaken.
The annual layers on the shell are also visible from the outside; it is best to count them in the area where the valves join, so scientists had to open the shell and kill the mollusks. Determining the age of the mollusk, number 061294, scientists came to the conclusion that it was 407 years old, and gave it the name Ming in honor of the imperial Ming dynasty, which reigned in China at the time of its birth.
However, they missed the age determination by 100 years; the fact is that hundreds of annual rings need to be counted in just a few millimeters of space. Now they have published updated data: the mollusk turned out to be 100 years older (although the years of his youth still fall in the Ming era). He was born around 1499 and was a contemporary of Christopher Columbus and Martin Luther.
We got the age wrong the first time, and we may have been a bit hasty in publishing our data back then (the first paper with the wrong estimate came out in 2008). But now we are absolutely confident that we determined the age correctly, Butler told ScienceNordic. ()
Icelandic Cyprina (Arctica islandica) also known under the old name Cyprina islandica, is the only modern representative of the genus Arctica (Arctica). This is a relatively warm-water North Atlantic mollusk that also lives in the western part of the Barents Sea and in the warmest parts of the White Sea. Cyprina has a rather large (up to 12 cm long) shell covered with a glossy brown periostracum. The lock is complex, with well-developed teeth. The mantle margin forms two short siphons, the openings of which are surrounded by delicate papillae. The leg is short but powerful; With its help, the animal quickly burrows into the ground.
Due to its location in relatively warm waters cyprina serves as a good indicator of the distribution of warm Atlantic waters in the past. In the era of the warm Littorina Sea, the species was more widespread than now, and in the east it reached Taimyr. Many people feed on young cyprins bottom fish, and adults - seabirds, such as the herring gull. It cannot split a shell with its beak, so the seagull dives, takes out the shell and, taking off, drops it on the coastal stones, on which even the largest and thickest shells break. After this, the seagull pecks the body of the mollusk without interference.
P.S. So he lived for 500 years, sat under water, and then British scientists came and killed him :-(
Let's continue about long-livers...
And another long-liver:
A new study has found that the Red Sea sea urchin, a small spiny invertebrate that lives in shallow coastal waters, is the longest-lived animal on Earth. They can live about 200 years or even more, and die only from predators and diseases. They are not subject to aging and reproduce at any age, and the older, the more active.
Marine zoologists at Oregon State University came to this conclusion during their research.
These invertebrate long-livers of the Red Sea were discovered due to the fact that on one of the caught specimens there was a mark from 1805 that “Lewis and Clark arrived in Oregon,” and this sea urchin still had excellent health and could even reproduce. The discovery could have important implications for commercial fisheries management and our understanding of marine biology, as well as challenge some erroneous assumptions about the life cycle of this marine invertebrate.
It was believed that sea urchins The Red Sea fish live only about 15 years. But after the discovery of this specimen, more detailed studies were carried out, based on the use of two completely different methods for determining the age of sea urchins - one biochemical and the other isotopic. They showed identical results and significantly increased the age limit for these animals. Research shows that Red Sea sea urchins may have long lifespans, longer than virtually any animal on the planet, and appear to show almost no signs of aging, or age-related dysfunction. One gets the feeling that they die only from external interference (when eaten by predators, from disease or during fishing). Thus, if it were possible to create a favorable environment for sea urchins, excluding predators and diseases, it is not even known how many hundreds of years they could live.
No animals other than these sea urchins have such abilities of not aging and actually being immortal. A detailed study of animal samples showed that a 100-year-old sea urchin is just as healthy and capable of reproducing as a 10-year-old sea urchin.
Moreover, more mature sea urchins of the Red Sea are even more prolific producers of seed and caviar. They do not go through any menopausal periods.
These new data could open up many new insights into the ecology of marine animals. In particular, it now becomes clear why in the 1960s in the United States, sea urchins were considered a scourge of the sea and a real threat. They ate sea plants and algae, and multiplied unusually quickly.
The development of sea urchins from the larval stage to an adult takes place in just a month. At the age of 2 years, the sea urchin doubles in size - from 2 to 4 cm. The urchin reaches its maximum size by 6-7 years, but continues to grow by 0.1 cm even until the age of 22, when it reaches about 19 cm.
The bowhead whale is the most ancient mammal on earth (211 years)
Giant tortoise Aidwata (256 years old)
Koi carp "Hanako" (226 years old)
Guidak (168 years old) - more about them here - you will probably think something obscene, ... and this is just a guidak!.
And now closer to the record holders:
Many people don't even realize that sponges are actually animals. Naturally, sponges are not very mobile creatures, and some of them move less than 1 millimeter per day, so it is not surprising that they grow very, very slowly, like many of the other animals on this list. It is their measured growth that ensures their longevity. There are between five and ten thousand species of sponges in the world, and most of them live from 3 months to 20 years. However, the Antarctic sponge lives much longer, and one of the samples scientists found lived a long life, namely 1,550 years.
Antarctic sponges and similar species in Antarctic waters grow very slowly and at very low temperatures. Estimates based on measuring increases in height over a period of one year produce staggering results. A two-meter sponge living in the Ross Sea should be 23,000 years old!!! Although, if we take into account data on sea level changes in those places, the age of the sponge cannot exceed 15,000 years. But this, you see, is a lot. Now imagine for a moment how many interesting things this sponge has seen in its lifetime
The Scolymastra sponge is a giant sponge that can reach an age of up to 10 thousand yearsT. Some scientists classify it in the genus Anoxycalyx in the class Glass sponges. Scolymastra sponge only known species genus Scolymastra.
The Scolymastra sponge was discovered during a French Antarctic expedition in the years 1908 to 1910 led by Jean-Baptiste Charcot. In 1916, the sponge was described by the French sponge specialist Emile Topsent. And it was named after Louis Joubin, a professor at the Zoological Museum in Paris.
It has the lowest metabolism and low oxygen consumption of all species. Adult sponges can reach up to 2 m and reach a diameter of up to 1.7 m. The color varies from pale yellow to white.
Distributed in Antarctic waters near the southern Shetland Islands at depths from 45 to 441 m. Due to the elongated crater-like appearance of the sponge, it is known that English language it is called a volcano sponge.
1996 Thomas Brey and Susanne Gatti of the Bremerhaf Polar Star Expedition measured the age of the sponge based on oxygen consumption and found it to be 10,000 years old. This happened after the American scientist Paul Dayton had difficulty finding changes in the growth of this sponge for ten years.
The main enemies of the Scolymastra sponge are the snails Doris kerguelenensis and sea stars Acodontaster conspicuus.
And here interesting fact I came across it while I was looking for long-lived animals. Look!
Huge meadows of the “sea grass” of Posidonia, which according to scientists from 80 to 200 thousand years, were discovered by biologists from Australia in the Mediterranean Sea. The longest-living organism in the world reproduces itself by cloning, as evidenced by the genetic identity of individual individuals growing abundantly kilometers apart on the seabed.
The seemingly ordinary sea grass of the species Posidonia oceanica is capable of producing offspring in several ways at once. “Reproduction in this plant occurs sexually, as usual, passing through the flowering stage with further mixing of the male and female genomes, or asexually, that is, by cloning, when the genome of an individual is passed on to the descendant without any noticeable changes,” said Dr. Sophie Arnaud. Haond, researcher at the Institute of Marine Research in France.
The DNA of the mysterious sea plant was studied in more detail by Carlos Duarte, a researcher from the University of Western Australia. Not far from the island of Formentera, a biologist came across a gigantic meadow of a grass-like sea plant that spread over 15 kilometers, representing a single organism. He collected several samples of grass genetic material from 40 different locations during an expedition from Cyprus to Spain. The DNA, as the analysis showed, was identical in all samples.
However, scientists are concerned that human activity could negatively impact the future of this long-lived grass. “Currently, dramatic changes are occurring at an unprecedented rate, and the decline in populations of Posidonia oceanica and other seagrass species raises doubts among researchers about the ability of these species and clones, which have undergone a long and difficult path of selection, to survive,” the authors noted.
The seagrass's remarkable hardiness may not prevent its extinction, the researchers noted, as water in the Mediterranean Sea warms at a triple rate, causing P. oceanica grass meadows to decline by about 5% annually.
A little earlier, this was a shrubby plant of the species Lomatia tasmanica, which was also propagated by cloning. Paleontologists of the past found it in Tasmania back in the 30s. Later, leaf fossils dating back approximately 43,600 years were discovered near one of the plants. Scientists have suggested that the modern shrub may be a clone of the one to which these same leaves once belonged.
Well, now it’s probably the longest living organism or simply immortal :-)
Most likely, this point will not surprise many people, since over the past few years much has become known about the unusual capabilities of jellyfish. A species of jellyfish called Turritopsis nutricula does not have any special appearance. Newborns are 1 millimeter long and are born with eight tentacles, while adults have 90 tentacles and a body length of 4.5 millimeters. These small jellyfish were originally native to the Caribbean, but can now be found all over the world.
However, everything is not as good as it might seem at first glance, because they can multiply and multiply. This makes them unique not only among jellyfish, but among all living things, since they can return to adolescence. These jellyfish are born and grow like any other animal, but when they reach a certain age, they can revert back to the polyp stage and begin to mature again. In human terms, it would be roughly the same as a 50-year-old person reverting to being a baby. It means that these jellyfish are potentially immortal.
The jellyfish Turritopsis Nutricula, which is considered the only immortal creature on the planet, has come under close observation by scientists. Geneticists and marine biologists are actively studying the jellyfish to understand how it manages to reverse the aging process.
Jellyfish of this species are relatively small: only 4-5 mm in diameter. And unlike most jellyfish, which die after participating in the reproductive cycle, Turritopsis Nutricula returns to its juvenile stage after mating.
Upon reaching maturity, Turritopsis Nutricula can transform back into a juvenile and is capable of repeating this cycle indefinitely. These creatures, which represent the class of hydrozoans, die only if they are eaten or killed. According to one hypothesis, the cells in the body of such jellyfish are transformed, transforming from one type to another.
Considering that they do not die a natural death, Turritopsis Nutricula, under certain conditions, can, by multiplying too much, upset the balance of the world's oceans. Dr Maria Miglietta, from the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute in Panama, told The Sun: "We're seeing a silent invasion of these jellyfish around the world." Turritopsis Nutricula jellyfish originally originated from the Caribbean region, but gradually they penetrated into other geographical areas.
In terms of life expectancy, humans are inferior to many representatives of the animal world. Many of them live longer than a century, and some even live for five hundred years.
Bivalve mollusk of the species Arctica islandica
Today, these mollusks are considered the longest-living animals on Earth. Studies of the shells of several mollusks conducted in 2006-2007 at Bangor University in Wales showed their maximum age - more than 500 years. The oldest specimen, named Ming, was 507 years old.
Giant turtle
Giant tortoises are land reptiles, endemic to Aldabra Island (Seychelles). These turtles are one of the longest living animals on Earth. In captivity they live on average up to 150 years.
The record holder for age among known to science The first tortoise to emerge was a 250-kilogram tortoise named Advaita (Sanskrit for “the only one”), who lived at the Calcutta Zoo. At the time of her death she was 256 years old.
Turtles are not only long-livers, but also one of the most ancient animals. Turtle fossils are over 220 million years old. The question of their origin is still considered debatable. Most scientists assume that the turtle predecessors were Permian cotylosaurs.
Koi Carp Koi carp are also called brocade carp. This is a domesticated ornamental subspecies of common carp. Koi carp can be considered a fish that has gone through 6 selective selections. After all stages of selection, she is assigned specific category. There are more than 80 koi breeds in total, they are divided into 16 groups.
The world learned about the longevity of koi in 1966. During a radio appearance, Japanese doctor Komei Koshihara told the story of the Hanako carp. When Komei was born, beautiful fish already lived in a small pond near his house. Years passed, the boy went to study. Every time he returned home, a large 70-centimeter fish was still swimming in the pond. Koshihara asked his grandmother how long Hanako had been living here. According to the grandmother, the fish was at least 100 years old.
As an adult, Komei Koshihara decided to find out Hanako's age. He asked his friend Masayuki Amano, who worked at a fish farming station, to help with this. Analysis of Hanako's scales showed that Hanako is the oldest carp known to science. At the time of verification he was 217 years old. The fish died in 1977 at the age of 226 years.
European pearl mussel
The European pearl mussel is currently on the verge of extinction. Previously, these mollusks were fished for mother-of-pearl, but today this has become unprofitable.
The fact that the pearl mussel can be of great interest to gerontologists became known only in 2000, when the Russian researcher Valery Zyuganov established: the pearl mussel, which lives in Europe and North America, lives 210-250 years, and is the record holder for longevity among all known freshwater invertebrate animals.
Pearl mussels are characterized by the phenomenon of negligible aging, that is, the rate of their aging is difficult to statistically distinguish from zero within a single sample. Also called negligible aging is the phenomenon of “non-aging” - the lack of correlation between age and the probability of death. Interestingly, the phenomenon of neglected aging is also observed in people who live to be 90-100 years old. After reaching this age, their chance of living to each next year does not decrease over the years. It was also noticed that all people who lived to these years are genetically similar to each other
Red sea urchin Sea urchins are amazing creatures. These are the most “many-legged” representatives of the animal world. Moreover, they use their numerous needles as legs, the number of which can reach up to a thousand. In addition, sea urchins have a spiral-shaped intestine and an organ unique in its structure - the Aristotelian lantern, consisting of five pyramidal outgrowths, shaped like drills. Inside each outgrowth there is a sharp tooth.
Sea urchins are one of the most ancient creatures on Earth. They lived on the planet back in Paleozoic times. At the beginning of the 19th century, scientists believed that sea urchins did not live long - about 15 years, but recent studies of sea urchins provide amazing results. It turns out that red sea urchins can grow and develop throughout their lives without showing signs of aging. These creatures live for more than 200 years. And it is unclear how long they could have lived if they had not had natural enemies in the ocean, from which hedgehogs have to run away on their thorns.
Clam Guidak
The Guidak mollusk looks rather strange. It consists of a small shell relative to the size of the body and two long fused siphons, which can reach one meter in length. “Guidak” is translated from the Indian language as “digging deep.” This is the largest burrowing mollusk in the world, so this name is quite justified.
Guidaks are long-lived. Their average lifespan is 146 years, but scientists also found a 160-year-old individual. Guidaks have almost no natural enemies in nature; in addition, they have a slow metabolism, which ensures Guidaks' longevity. Damage to the mollusk can be caused by sharks and sea otters, as well as by humans - the meat of geoducks is eaten in China and Japan.
Mollusks are softened by external fertilization. Over the course of their more than century-long life, female Guidaks release about five billion eggs.
Greenland whale We couldn’t do without whales in our rating. Whales are the largest animals on our planet and yes, they are long-lived. The bowhead whale is the longest living vertebrate. The average lifespan of mammals of this species is not so long - 40 years, but some representatives live more than 200 years.
Whales are also interesting because they develop, grow and reproduce throughout their lives, and the intensity of these processes does not weaken with age. Whales are of interest to gerontologists because even the oldest whales show no signs of aging when studied. That is, whales, like some other animals (such as, for example, mole rats) do not become decrepit.
There is still no exact answer as to why whales die. Interestingly, the age of a whale can be determined by the protein content in the lens of the eye. Its turbidity is the only indicator of whale aging. Scientist Vladimir Skulachev, who has been involved in gerontology for many years, believes that perhaps whales go blind, and then simply crash.
