A group of scientists discovered in a lake in the Arizona desert (USA) Some oldest animals of the worldBecause some of them were born in 1918 and are still alive. The discovery is significant because it is the second discovery of an animal genus shared by three or more species. Known life expectancy of more than 100 yearsand above all, it could open the door to studies on aging in humans and the possibility of extending life expectancy.
The study focuses on the following topics: three species of fish of the genus ichthyopusIt is known as buffalo fish.
“There is probably a wealth of knowledge about aging, longevity and old age in this breed. ichthyopus“The study’s lead author, Alec Lackmann, a glaciologist and professor at the University of Minnesota Duluth, said in a statement.
“This study sheds light on this potential and opens the door to the future. Better understanding of the aging process of vertebrates, including humans. “The research raises the question: What is the buffalo fish’s fountain of youth?” he added.
How was age determined?
Lackmann had previously studied buffalo fish, and his 2019 research found the following: Increasing the previously assumed maximum age for largemouth buffalo from approximately 25 to more than 100 years. It uses a much more refined aging technique than previously used. Instead of examining fish scales, “Stones called otoliths or ear stones are removedLackmann said, “The stones taken from the inside of the fish’s skull are cut into thin sections and their ages are determined.”
Approximately 97% of fish species have otoliths. They are small stone-like structures that grow throughout the life of the fish. creates a new layer every year. When properly processed, scientists like Lackmann can examine otoliths with a compound microscope and count the layers. like the rings of a treeand so you can know the age of the fish.
Buffalo fish are native to central North America, including Minnesota, but those found in this latest study were found in Apache Lake, a reservoir in the desert southwest. Originally raised in breeding ponds along the Mississippi River in the Midwest, buffalo fish were introduced to Roosevelt Lake (upper Lake Apache) in Arizona by the government in 1918. While Lake Roosevelt has been fished commercially, fish populations in Apache Lake have remained nearly constant.
When catch-and-release conservation fishermen noticed unique orange and black markings on many of the fish they caught, they wanted to learn more about these markings and came across Lackmann’s initial research. Stuart Black, a fisherman from Arizona, contacted the scientist and invited him to a fishing day. at Apache Lake, where the collected samples will be donated to science.
more than 100 years
By examining collected fish and analyzing the age of their otoliths, Lackmann discovered that some buffalo fish from the 1918 Arizona population are probably still alive today.and discovered that most of the buffalo fish in Apache Lake hatched in the early 1920s, and more importantly: there were three different species of buffalo in the lake. They were over 100 years old. To their knowledge, this level of longevity in many freshwater fish species is found nowhere else in the world.
According to Lackmann, there are interesting possibilities for the future of studies on this unique group of fish. far-reaching implications.
“These long-lived fish species can be monitored so that we can further study and understand their DNA, physiology, ability to fight infection and disease, and compare these systems across the age spectrum,” Lackmann said. said. “Gender ichthyopus “It has the potential to be of great value in the field of gerontology, and Apache Lake may become an epicenter for a variety of scientific research in the future.”
Reference work: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-023-44328-8#Fig1
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