HE longest living animal a documented Iceland oyster (Iceland arctic) HE He lived at least 507 years until he died in 2006.. It so happens that death is a more than dubious manipulation of the animal by scientists who read
This oyster species is known for its exceptional longevity. In the case of this particular instance, which his caretakers refer to as ‘Ming’ (as he was born during the Chinese dynasty in question), He is registered in the Guinness Book of Records as the person who managed to live the longest. He was not born as someone else 1499 and, in fact, he was fine until he accidentally died in 2006 while tests were being done to confirm his age.
it was ming It was discovered during a scientific expedition to Iceland in 2006. during a campaign to study climate change over the past 1,000 years. These oysters are very useful for this type of research, as their shells contain crucial records of changes in climate.
out of their shell Consecutive grooves that allow us to know its age, as in the rings of tree trunks.. Each of these cracks corresponds to one year. In addition, since these signs give information about the changes in the sea and the climate, they are used to learn what happened in these aspects in the past.
Researchers from Bangor University of Wales in the United Kingdom took some samples to study in their lab. in 2007 The first count of its lines indicated that this mollusk could be between 405 and 410 years old.
Died on “closer analysis”
But the scientists felt they needed to do a more thorough analysis, as they suspected the animal might actually be even older. for him, they had to open the bullets to get in and that’s when ‘Ming’ died.
Investigators thus inadvertently caused his death. but they managed to determine that his real age is 507 years.that is, much more than was originally attributed.
However, the death of ‘Ming’, who tried to hide at first, was accepted by the university and started a wave of protests among the public. “They were sending us emails saying oyster killer.; This is madness,” said Professor James Scocourse of the university in question.
Some reports accused his team of doing their job poorly, but Scocourse categorically denied this allegation.
Also, the scientists pointed out that this is a type of culinary use, so many people may have unwittingly eaten specimens as old or older as ‘Ming’:The same oyster species is caught and consumed daily; Anyone who has eaten shellfish soup in New England (USA) has probably ingested specimens of this species.most of them are several hundred years old, ”said scientists.
Experts remember that these animals are threatened by ocean acidification caused by climate change, but they also do not rule out that there are older Icelandic oysters on the seafloor.
Another large 214-year-old oyster has returned to the sea
It is not the only oyster species that can achieve a long lifespan and also an extraordinary size. A few weeks ago, a man walking along the beach at Alligator Point, Florida, encountered an abnormally large oyster. It was an example of the genre known as Latin. mercenaryHE Measured 1 kilo 100 grams in weight and at least 15 centimeters in length. They are ominous dimensions even for this species.
Out of oyster shells, as reported by CBS 214 striae were counted, indicating that the animal was born in 1809, The year President Abraham Lincoln was born, the mussel was named ‘Abrer-Clam Lincoln’ for this reason.
“We were going to eat it, but we thought better and decided it was pretty special, so we’re not going to kill it,” said the clam’s owner. .
In any case, and despite the fact that the Ming oyster is in the Guinness Book of Records, this is suspected. there are taller creatures on the face of the earth. This is true of worms and sponges, such as the hexactinellids, whose examples can greatly exceed the age of these oysters.
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