Eye lens radiocarbon reveals centuries of longevity in the Greenland shark (Somniosus microcephalus).
Level 5 - mechanism / opinion, no new human data
Non-human animal specimen study using tissue radiocarbon dating (level assigned by design analogy).
PubMed 27516602 · doi:10.1126/science.aaf1703
What was done
Radiocarbon dating was performed on eye lens nuclei from 28 female Greenland sharks (Somniosus microcephalus) measuring 81 to 502 cm in total length, utilizing the 1960s radiocarbon bomb pulse as a chronological marker.
What was found
The data demonstrated a lifespan of at least 272 years. Only sharks 220 cm or smaller showed evidence of the early 1960s bomb pulse. Based on 95.4% probability ranges, age at sexual maturity was at least 156 ± 22 years, and the largest individual (502 cm) was dated to 392 ± 120 years old.
Why it matters
These findings establish the Greenland shark as the longest-lived known vertebrate. Achieving reproductive maturity only after more than a century indicates exceptional vulnerability to fishing pressure and population depletion.
Limits
The sample size was small (28 specimens) and restricted entirely to females. Age estimates rely on calibration models that carry wide confidence intervals (such as ± 120 years for the largest shark).
Cited by
- partial Bowhead whales can live up to 200 years and Greenland sharks can live over 500 years.