Thirteen Animal Species That Outlive Humans by Centuries, From Immortal Jellyfish to 11,000-Year Sponges
A study examining 13 species known for their longevity has identified two that potentially escape aging: Hydra, which exhibits no signs of senescence, and Turritopsis dohrnii, a jellyfish capable of reverting to its earlier polyp form. The Monorhaphis chuni glass sponge has an age of approximately 11,000 years, while black coral found near Hawaii is 4,265 years old. Collected in 2006, Ming, an ocean quahog, was born in 1499, making it 507 years old. Escarpia laminata tubeworms can live beyond 300 years, and Greenland sharks have a lifespan of at least 272 years. Freshwater pearl mussels can reach 280 years, and Rougheye rockfish can exceed 205 years. Bowhead whales may live over 200 years. Jonathan, a Seychelles giant tortoise, is around 190, while Cassius, a crocodile, is estimated to be 120.
Key facts
- Hydra show no signs of aging because their bodies consist largely of self-renewing stem cells, per biologist Daniel Martínez of Pomona College
- Turritopsis dohrnii, under 4.5 millimeters across, can revert from adult medusa to polyp stage after injury or starvation
- A Monorhaphis chuni glass sponge was estimated at about 11,000 years old in a 2012 Chemical Geology study
- Black coral off Hawaii was radiocarbon-dated at 4,265 years
- The clam Ming, collected near Iceland in 2006, was calculated at 507 years old, hatching in 1499
- A 2016 Science study set Greenland shark age at a minimum of 272 years, with the largest specimen at 392 and an upper bound near 512
- Freshwater pearl mussels reach 280 years but are classified as endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature
- Jonathan, a Seychelles giant tortoise on St. Helena, was named the oldest tortoise on record by Guinness World Records on Jan. 12, 2022, at an estimated 190 years
Entities
Artists
- Daniel Martínez
- Anna Holmes
- Julius Nielsen
- João Pedro de Magalhães
- Joe Hollins
- Toody Scott
- Steve Irwin
Institutions
- Pomona College
- American Museum of Natural History
- Natural History Museum
- National Museum Wales
- Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
- University of Hawaii
- Greenland Institute of Natural Resources
- World Wildlife Fund for Nature
- International Union for Conservation of Nature
- Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife
- Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada
- University of Birmingham
- Oregon State University
- Guinness World Records
- Marineland Crocodile Park
- Australia Zoo
- St. Lawrence Shark Observatory
- NOAA
- Live Science
- Chemical Geology
- Science
- The Science of Nature
- Fishery Bulletin
- Courier Mail
- Quartz
Locations
- Claremont
- California
- United States
- Mediterranean Sea
- Hawaii
- Iceland
- Gulf of Mexico
- Arctic
- North Atlantic
- Canada
- British Columbia
- Washington
- Alaska
- Japan
- Europe
- North America
- St. Helena
- South Atlantic
- Seychelles
- Green Island
- Darwin
- North Queensland
- Australia
- London
- United Kingdom
- China
Sources
- Quartz —