Longest Living Animal?

11-01-2007, 06:45 PM

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases...1028100032.htm

Longest Living Animal? Clam -- 400 Years Old -- Found In Icelandic Waters

Quote:

A clam dredged from Icelandic waters had lived for 400 years - is this the longest-lived animal known to science?

Happy Monkey · 11-01-2007, 07:32 PM

Not if it has a surviving sibling...

ferret88 · 11-02-2007, 07:49 AM

How'd they determine its age? Ask it? Check its license? Saw it in half and count the rings?

Shawnee123 · 11-02-2007, 08:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ferret88

How'd they determine its age? Ask it? Check its license? Saw it in half and count the rings?

SCIENCE!

Rexmons · 11-02-2007, 09:46 AM

they cut it open and counted its rings

smurfalicious · 11-02-2007, 01:16 PM

i hope my taco ages as well as your clam

Urbane Guerrilla · 11-03-2007, 03:48 AM

Abyssal tube worms are right up there too. Maybe nothing down there likes the taste.

DanaC · 11-03-2007, 07:25 PM

so....we find the oldest living creature and in order to establish its longevity we kill it? that makes sense

Clodfobble · 11-03-2007, 09:29 PM

From here:

Quote:

The clam was alive when it was brought to the surface, but at that point, the researchers had no idea how old it was. Only after cutting through the shell and counting annual growth rings under a microscope did they date the mollusc to between 405 to 410 years old.

"Its death is an unfortunate aspect of this work, but we hope to derive lots of information from it," said Al Wanamaker, a postdoctoral scientist on the university's Arctica team. "For our work it's a bonus, but it wasn't good for this particular animal."

But they were killing lots that day in the name of science, not just the old ones:

Quote:

The Arctica islandica clam was plucked from 80m-deep water by researchers at Bangor University in Wales, who were dredging the north Iceland shelf for the creatures. By studying their shells, the scientists hope to learn how the marine environment has changed in recent centuries.

11-01-2007, 07:32 PM	#2
Happy Monkey I think this line's mostly filler. Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: DC Posts: 13,575	Not if it has a surviving sibling... __________________ _________________ \|...............\| We live in the nick of times. \| Len 17, Wid 3 \| \|_______________\| [pics]

11-02-2007, 09:46 AM	#5
Rexmons - Kavkaz United - Join Date: May 2007 Posts: 613	they cut it open and counted its rings __________________ "Life's a bitch but God forbid the bitch divorce me..."

11-02-2007, 01:16 PM	#6
smurfalicious Tool. Not the band - you are one. Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: 501 Northlake Blvd., North Palm Beach FL Posts: 329	i hope my taco ages as well as your clam __________________ Last edited by smurfalicious; 11-02-2007 at 03:02 PM.

11-03-2007, 03:48 AM	#7
Urbane Guerrilla Person who doesn't update the user title Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Southern California Posts: 6,674	Abyssal tube worms are right up there too. Maybe nothing down there likes the taste. __________________ Wanna stop school shootings? End Gun-Free Zones, of course.

11-02-2007, 07:49 AM	#3
ferret88 (This space left intentionally UN-blank.) Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Albuquerque Posts: 604	How'd they determine its age? Ask it? Check its license? Saw it in half and count the rings?

11-03-2007, 07:25 PM	#8
DanaC We have to go back, Kate! Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Yorkshire Posts: 25,964	so....we find the oldest living creature and in order to establish its longevity we kill it? that makes sense

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