Greenland Sharks May Live Up to Four Centuries: New Findings Reveal Extreme Longevity

In 2016 Julius Nielsen’s team published a *Science* study dating the eye lenses of 28 female Greenland sharks (*Somniosus microcephalus*). The biggest, about five metres long, gave a central age estimate of ~392 years. The method’s ±120-year margin means the shark was at least 272 years old and could exceed 500 years.

A Greenland shark studied in 2016 was estimated to be nearly 400 years old, meaning it may have been born around the time Shakespeare’s era was ending — and, astonishingly, would not have reached sexu

Greenland sharks lack growth rings, so researchers measured the carbon-14 content of the eye-lens nucleus, which forms before birth and never changes. The 1950s nuclear-test carbon spike served as a timestamp, allowing birth-year inference.

A Greenland shark studied in 2016 was estimated to be nearly 400 years old, meaning it may have been born around the time Shakespeare’s era was ending — and, astonishingly, would not have reached sexu

Samples ranged from <1 m to >5 m and could weigh >1 t. Growth is ~1 cm yr?¹. Sexual maturity occurs at ~150 yr, far later than any other vertebrate. The central lifespan estimate of ~400 yr makes the Greenland shark the longest-lived vertebrate known.

A Greenland shark studied in 2016 was estimated to be nearly 400 years old, meaning it may have been born around the time Shakespeare’s era was ending — and, astonishingly, would not have reached sexu

Near-freezing North Atlantic waters depress metabolism, limiting growth. A University of Basel study of ten sharks (some ~150 yr old) found elevated activity of DNA-repair genes, keeping eye tissue intact and resisting typical aging damage.

Living on Earth: Note on Emerging Science: Long-Lived Greenland Sharks

A 150-year maturation window means the population cannot replace adults rapidly. Sharks are caught as bycatch and were once harvested for liver oil; recovery may take centuries, leaving the species vulnerable to over-exploitation.

A Greenland shark studied in 2016 was estimated to be nearly 400 years old, meaning it may have been born around the time Shakespeare’s era was ending — and, astonishingly, would not have reached sexu

Conservationists note that existing protections do not match the shark’s extreme life-history; any rise in adult mortality could cause declines before new breeders appear.

A Greenland shark studied in 2016 was estimated to be nearly 400 years old, meaning it may have been born around the time Shakespeare’s era was ending — and, astonishingly, would not have reached sexu

Julius Nielsen said the eye-lens method offers a “new clock” for age estimation in species without growth rings. Lily Fogg highlighted that the sharks’ DNA-repair system may guide treatments for aging organs in humans.

Living on Earth: Note on Emerging Science: Long-Lived Greenland Sharks

The ±120-year error yields an age span of 272–500 years for the oldest shark. Only 28 females were sampled; males remain untested, leaving the true maximum lifespan uncertain.

A Greenland shark studied in 2016 was estimated to be nearly 400 years old, meaning it may have been born around the time Shakespeare’s era was ending — and, astonishingly, would not have reached sexu

• “small-headed sleeper” — Don Lyman, reporter

Living on Earth: Note on Emerging Science: Long-Lived Greenland Sharks

• “At the central estimate, the shark was swimming the cold North Atlantic before the first telescopes were turned on the night sky.” — Julius Nielsen, lead researcher

A Greenland shark studied in 2016 was estimated to be nearly 400 years old, meaning it may have been born around the time Shakespeare’s era was ending — and, astonishingly, would not have reached sexu

• “Fogg said that figuring out how Greenland sharks live longer than other vertebrates could possibly help to treat failing organs in aging people someday.” — Lily Fogg, biologist, University of Basel

Living on Earth: Note on Emerging Science: Long-Lived Greenland Sharks

• “The work, led by Julius Nielsen and published in the journal Science, covered 28 female sharks, ranging from under a metre to just over five metres in length.” — Science (journal)

A Greenland shark studied in 2016 was estimated to be nearly 400 years old, meaning it may have been born around the time Shakespeare’s era was ending — and, astonishingly, would not have reached sexu

Future work will broaden radiocarbon dating, probe DNA-repair pathways in more sharks, and monitor bycatch to guide management for this centuries-old vertebrate.

Living on Earth: Note on Emerging Science: Long-Lived Greenland Sharks