What is the secret to the extraordinary longevity of Greenland sharks?

2024-07-05 16:09:29

The key to the life expectancy of fish, estimated at around 400 years, can be found in their energy production, which does not seem to slow down with age.

Is the Greenland Shark the secret to longevity? In any case, that’s what researchers interested in one of the most mysterious species on the planet think. In a study published in 2016, the age of the oldest person was microcephalus dream They are 392 years old, using carbon-14 dating of proteins in the face of the model. Even if the measurement is very imprecise, with an uncertainty of plus or minus 120 years, the lower limit of 272 years makes it the oldest known vertebrate in any case. According to researchers’ estimates, the animal will reach sexual maturity only in 150 years.

Temperatures range from -2°C to 17°C

« We want to understand the physiological mechanisms that allow them to live so long », says Ewan Camplisson, a doctoral student at the University of Manchester (United Kingdom), who presented the results of his work on Thursday July 3 at the annual meeting of the Society for Experimental Biology, in Prague. For a scientist, the key to duration…

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