Mondo Knows Facts
Greenland sharks may live for 400 years
Radiocarbon dating of eye lenses suggests lifespans of several centuries
Greenland sharks grow about a centimetre a year and reach sexual maturity at around 150 years old. Because their eye lens tissue forms early and does not turn over, radiocarbon dating it gives age estimates in the region of 272 to 500 years for adults. That makes them the longest-lived vertebrates known.
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Tags: sharks, age, arctic
Greenland sharks may live for 400 years: the short answers
- Where does this come from, and can I check it?
- Radiocarbon dating of eye lenses suggests lifespans of several centuries. The figure is taken from NOAA Fisheries, which is linked in full on this page. Every fact on Mondo Knows names its source rather than repeating an unsourced claim.
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