The Shark That May Outlive Generations
In short: Scientists radiocarbon-dated the eye lenses of Greenland sharks (Somniosus microcephalus) and estimated the largest of 28 females at 392 ± 120 years old, which makes the species the longest-lived vertebrate known even at the low end of the range.
A 1:27 short film in the series “Nature: How Long Can It Live?”, narrated by intellect_voice_01.
Sources used in this film: Scientific Reports (Springer Nature), hosted on PubMed Central (US National Library of Medicine, NCBI), “First estimates of Greenland shark (Somniosus microcephalus) local abundances in Arctic waters”; NOAA National Ocean Service (U.S. Department of Commerce), “How long do Greenland sharks live?”; Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI), Shorefishes of the Greater Caribbean online information system, “Shorefishes of the Greater Caribbean online information system - The Fishes”; Ecology and Evolution (British Ecological Society and John Wiley & Sons), via PubMed Central, US National Library of Medicine, “Spatial Distribution of Greenland Shark Somniosus microcephalus (Bloch & Schneider, 1801) Life Stages Across the Northern North Atlantic”; Oxford University Research Archive (ORA), Bodleian Libraries, University of Oxford; accepted manuscript of Nielsen et al. 2016, Science (American Association for the Advancement of Science), “Eye lens radiocarbon reveals centuries of longevity in Greenland shark (Somniosus microcephalus) - ORA”; Indiana University Libraries (IUScholarWorks repository), hosting the August 2016 article by Nielsen, Hedelholm, Heinemeier, Bushnell, Christiansen, Olsen, Bronk Ramsey, Brill, Simon, Steffensen and …, “Eye lens radiocarbon reveals centuries of longevity in the Greenland shark (Somniosus microcephalus)”; Smithsonian Magazine (Smithsonian Institution), “These Ridiculously Long-Lived Sharks Are Older Than the United States, and Still Living It Up”; BBC News, “400-year-old Greenland shark ‘longest-living vertebrate’”; Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS), William & Mary, “Old and cold: extreme longevity in Greenland sharks”; Oxford University Research Archive (ORA), University of Oxford. This is the revised author manuscript dated 27 May 2016 by Julius Nielsen et al., 'Eye lens radiocarbon reveals centuries of longevity …, “maintext_final27maj”.
Sources used in this film
- Scientific Reports (Springer Nature), hosted on PubMed Central (US National Library of Medicine, NCBI) — First estimates of Greenland shark (Somniosus microcephalus) local abundances in Arctic waters · View →
- NOAA National Ocean Service (U.S. Department of Commerce) — How long do Greenland sharks live? · View →
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI), Shorefishes of the Greater Caribbean online information system — Shorefishes of the Greater Caribbean online information system - The Fishes · View →
- Ecology and Evolution (British Ecological Society and John Wiley & Sons), via PubMed Central, US National Library of Medicine — Spatial Distribution of Greenland Shark Somniosus microcephalus (Bloch & Schneider, 1801) Life Stages Across the Northern North Atlantic · View →
- Oxford University Research Archive (ORA), Bodleian Libraries, University of Oxford; accepted manuscript of Nielsen et al. 2016, Science (American Association for the Advancement of Science) — Eye lens radiocarbon reveals centuries of longevity in Greenland shark (Somniosus microcephalus) - ORA · View →
- Indiana University Libraries (IUScholarWorks repository), hosting the August 2016 article by Nielsen, Hedelholm, Heinemeier, Bushnell, Christiansen, Olsen, Bronk Ramsey, Brill, Simon, Steffensen and … — Eye lens radiocarbon reveals centuries of longevity in the Greenland shark (Somniosus microcephalus) · View →
- Smithsonian Magazine (Smithsonian Institution) — These Ridiculously Long-Lived Sharks Are Older Than the United States, and Still Living It Up · View →
- BBC News — 400-year-old Greenland shark ‘longest-living vertebrate’ · View →
- Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS), William & Mary — Old and cold: extreme longevity in Greenland sharks · View →
- Oxford University Research Archive (ORA), University of Oxford. This is the revised author manuscript dated 27 May 2016 by Julius Nielsen et al., 'Eye lens radiocarbon reveals centuries of longevity … — maintext_final27maj · View →
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: Scientific Reports (Springer Nature), hosted on PubMed Central (US National Library of Medicine, NCBI): First estimates of Greenland shark (Somniosus microcephalus) local abundances in Arctic waters
- Also: NOAA National Ocean Service (U.S. Department of Commerce): How long do Greenland sharks live?
- Also: Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI), Shorefishes of the Greater Caribbean online information system: Shorefishes of the Greater Caribbean online information system - The Fishes
- Also: Ecology and Evolution (British Ecological Society and John Wiley & Sons), via PubMed Central, US National Library of Med: Spatial Distribution of Greenland Shark Somniosus microcephalus (Bloch & Schneider, 1801) Life Stages Across the Northern North Atlantic
- Also: University of Oxford, Oxford University Research Archive (ORA), hosting the accepted manuscript of Nielsen et al. (2016): Eye lens radiocarbon reveals centuries of longevity in Greenland shark (Somniosus microcephalus) - ORA - Oxford University Research Archive
- Also: Indiana University Libraries (IUScholarWorks repository), hosting the August 2016 article by Nielsen, Hedelholm, Heineme: Eye lens radiocarbon reveals centuries of longevity in the Greenland shark (Somniosus microcephalus)
- Also: Smithsonian Magazine (Smithsonian Institution): These Ridiculously Long-Lived Sharks Are Older Than the United States, and Still Living It Up
- Also: BBC News: 400-year-old Greenland shark ‘longest-living vertebrate’
- Also: Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS), William & Mary: Old and cold: extreme longevity in Greenland sharks
- Also: Oxford University Research Archive (ORA), University of Oxford. This is the revised author manuscript dated 27 May 2016 : maintext_final27maj
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