Sharks spend 4 centuries, only mating after 150 years old

Danish scientists discovered the lifespan of a Greenland shark up to 400 years, keeping the world's oldest vertebrate.

According to the International Business Times, through an analysis of changes due to nuclear bomb testing in the 1950s, the team was able to accurately estimate the lifespan of 28 Greenland sharks. They found that the oldest and oldest child was between 335 and 392 years old.

" Greenland sharks are among the longest living vertebrates in the world, placed on top of the whale head (Balaena mysticetus) with an estimated 211-year lifespan," the team concluded in a report published today. now in Science magazine. "The lifespan of Greenland sharks is less than that of the sea ​​oyster (Arctica islandica) , which can live up to 507 years."

A Greenland shark swimming near the water.(Photo: Julius Nielsen).

Greenland sharks live in the Arctic. They have a very slow growth rate, only a centimeter longer each year and reach a maximum size of 5m. This is a sign that they can live for a long time. However, scientists do not understand their biological characteristics. Conventional age calculation methods such as analyzing calcified specimens are not suitable because there are very few specimens of Greenland sharks.

To determine the age of Greenland sharks, Julius Nielsen, a researcher at the University of Copenhagen, Denmark and colleagues, is considering using another dating technique based on fusion weapons tests. The effect of the experiment left traces in the ocean environment and the team focused on the lens in the eyes of 28 sharks caught along the Greenland continental shelf at a depth of 132-1.200m.

The smallest sharks have the highest amount of radioactive carbon, indicating they are most affected by the bombs when they were born. When the team estimated the life of the largest sharks, the results showed an average life expectancy of 272 years and some of them were 400 years old. In addition, they found that this shark is only ready to mate after 150 years.