Nobody likes getting old, largely because as we age we all know we are getting closer to our inevitable death. If we lived as long as some animals, maybe we wouldn’t mind so much.
Every animal has a different average lifespan, some are very short like the Sign Eviota, which completes its normal life cycle within about eight weeks, making it the shortest of any known vertebrate.
On the other side of the spectrum, there are some extraordinarily old animals that can live hundreds, if not thousands, of years.
Scientists often study these types of animals in an attempt to unlock their secrets to longevity (and hopefully use those secrets to extend the lives of humans).
One of the best-known animals with an impressive lifespan is the Greenland shark. It holds the record for being the longest-living vertebrate known to man.
The oldest Greenland shark we are aware of was between 272 and 512 years old when studied. These sharks develop very slowly and live in the cold waters of the Arctic.
Even older than the Greenland shark is a simple clam.
Scientists looked at a quahog clam known as Ming (named after the Ming dynasty) and found that it was 507 years old. Sadly, it only died after being frozen during the collection process for research.
Who knows how long it could have lived if it had been left alone in its natural habitat?
The animal that holds the record for living the longest is a small jellyfish, appropriately named the immortal jellyfish.
That is because if this species of jellyfish gets injured or sick, it will float down into the seabed and decay.
While that seems like dying, it has a trick up its tentacles. During the decaying process, the cells of this jellyfish reaggregate into polyps, which are the first stage of life for a jelly.
From there, the immortal jellyfish starts its lifecycle over.
Since it is biologically still the same animal, it can be said that it is truly immortal (as long as it doesn’t get eaten).
If only we could live as long as some of these remarkable animals.
If you think that’s impressive, check out this story about a “goldmine” of lithium that was found in the U.S. that could completely change the EV battery game.