Can a Whale Live for Centuries?
In short: A harpoon fragment from the late 1800s and a chemical clock in the eye lens suggest that some wild bowhead whales (Balaena mysticetus) live well beyond 100 years, with one individual estimated at 211.
A 1:29 short film in the series “Nature: How Long Can It Live?”, narrated by intellect_voice_01.
Sources used in this film: ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation), carrying a Reuters wire report dated 13 June 2007, “19th century harpoon found in whale”; Marine Science Institute, The University of Texas at Austin (Science and the Sea; article by Mandy Calkins, dated September 1, 2007), “A Living Piece of Arctic History - Marine Science Institute. The University of Texas at Austin.”; U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (HERO database), indexing George JC et al. 1999, Canadian Journal of Zoology 77: 571-580, “Age and growth estimates of bowhead whales (Balaena mysticetus) via aspartic acid racemization”; International Whaling Commission (Journal of Cetacean Research and Management), “Age estimation for bowhead whales (Balaena mysticetus) using aspartic acid racemisation with enhanced hydrolysis and derivatisation procedures”; Springer Nature (Fisheries Science journal, article by Yasunaga, Pastene, Bando, Hakamada & Fujise, 2017), “Age estimation of Antarctic minke whales Balaenoptera bonaerensis based on aspartic acid racemization technique”; Cell Press (Keane et al., 2015, 'Insights into the Evolution of Longevity from the Bowhead Whale Genome', hosted on VTechWorks, Virginia Tech), “VTechWorks Home”; The Innovation (Cell Press), Yu et al. 2021, Nanjing Normal University; hosted on PubMed Central by the US National Library of Medicine, “Comparative analyses of aging-related genes in long-lived mammals provide insights into natural longevity”; Science Advances (American Association for the Advancement of Science), hosted on PubMed Central by the U.S. National Library of Medicine; authors Breed, Vermeulen & Corkeron, 2024, “Extreme longevity may be the rule not the exception in Balaenid whales”.
Sources used in this film
- ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation), carrying a Reuters wire report dated 13 June 2007 — 19th century harpoon found in whale · View →
- Marine Science Institute, The University of Texas at Austin (Science and the Sea; article by Mandy Calkins, dated September 1, 2007) — A Living Piece of Arctic History - Marine Science Institute. The University of Texas at Austin. · View →
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (HERO database), indexing George JC et al. 1999, Canadian Journal of Zoology 77: 571-580 — Age and growth estimates of bowhead whales (Balaena mysticetus) via aspartic acid racemization · View →
- International Whaling Commission (Journal of Cetacean Research and Management) — Age estimation for bowhead whales (Balaena mysticetus) using aspartic acid racemisation with enhanced hydrolysis and derivatisation procedures · View →
- Springer Nature (Fisheries Science journal, article by Yasunaga, Pastene, Bando, Hakamada & Fujise, 2017) — Age estimation of Antarctic minke whales Balaenoptera bonaerensis based on aspartic acid racemization technique · View →
- Cell Press (Keane et al., 2015, 'Insights into the Evolution of Longevity from the Bowhead Whale Genome', hosted on VTechWorks, Virginia Tech) — VTechWorks Home · View →
- The Innovation (Cell Press), Yu et al. 2021, Nanjing Normal University; hosted on PubMed Central by the US National Library of Medicine — Comparative analyses of aging-related genes in long-lived mammals provide insights into natural longevity · View →
- Science Advances (American Association for the Advancement of Science), hosted on PubMed Central by the U.S. National Library of Medicine; authors Breed, Vermeulen & Corkeron, 2024 — Extreme longevity may be the rule not the exception in Balaenid whales · View →
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation), carrying a Reuters wire report dated 13 June 2007: 19th century harpoon found in whale
- Also: Marine Science Institute, The University of Texas at Austin (Science and the Sea; article by Mandy Calkins, dated Septem: A Living Piece of Arctic History - Marine Science Institute. The University of Texas at Austin.
- Also: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (HERO database), indexing George JC et al. 1999, Canadian Journal of Zoology 77: 57: Age and growth estimates of bowhead whales (Balaena mysticetus) via aspartic acid racemization
- Also: International Whaling Commission (Journal of Cetacean Research and Management): Age estimation for bowhead whales (Balaena mysticetus) using aspartic acid racemisation with enhanced hydrolysis and derivatisation procedures
- Also: Springer Nature (Fisheries Science journal, article by Yasunaga, Pastene, Bando, Hakamada & Fujise, 2017): Age estimation of Antarctic minke whales Balaenoptera bonaerensis based on aspartic acid racemization technique
- Also: Cell Press (Keane et al., 2015, 'Insights into the Evolution of Longevity from the Bowhead Whale Genome', hosted on VTec: VTechWorks Home
- Also: The Innovation (Cell Press), Yu et al. 2021, Nanjing Normal University; hosted on PubMed Central by the US National Libr: Comparative analyses of aging-related genes in long-lived mammals provide insights into natural longevity
- Also: Science Advances (American Association for the Advancement of Science), hosted on PubMed Central by the U.S. National Li: Extreme longevity may be the rule not the exception in Balaenid whales
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