Abstract
The Greenland shark (Somniosus microcephalus), an iconic species of the Arctic Seas, grows slowly and reaches >500 centimeters (cm) in total length, suggesting a life span well beyond those of other vertebrates. Radiocarbon dating of eye lens nuclei from 28 female Greenland sharks (81 to 502 cm in total length) revealed a life span of at least 272 years. Only the smallest sharks (220 cm or less) showed signs of the radiocarbon bomb pulse, a time marker of the early 1960s. The age ranges of prebomb sharks (reported as midpoint and extent of the 95.4% probability range) revealed the age at sexual maturity to be at least 156 ± 22 years, and the largest animal (502 cm) to be 392 ± 120 years old. Our results show that the Greenland shark is the longest-lived vertebrate known, and they raise concerns about species conservation.
Original language | English |
---|---|
Journal | Science |
Volume | 353 |
Issue | 6300 |
Pages (from-to) | 702-704 |
Number of pages | 3 |
ISSN | 0036-8075 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 12 Aug 2016 |
Keywords
- POST-BOMB RADIOCARBON
- FEEDING ECOLOGY
- NORTHWEST ATLANTIC
- AGE VALIDATION
- LAMNA-NASUS
- PRE-BOMB
- FOOD-WEB
- CALIBRATION
- OTOLITHS
- DELTA-N-15