• ​The Greenland shark is the world's new champion of vertebrate longevity.​
    29 replies, posted
[quote]Scientists just named the longest-living species of vertebrate animal. It's a creature that can live up to 400 years old, almost twice the lifespan of the oldest giant tortoises or bowhead whales, nature's next runners-up. These lords of longevity are the Greenland sharks,[I] Somniosus microcephalus[/I]. Although the Greenland sharks are not a newfound species, their absurdly long lifespan has only now been discovered. Julius Nielsen, a marine biologist at the University of Copenhagen in Denmark, and a team of fellow researchers have found that the mysterious sharks don't even reach maturity until 150 years. The slow-swimming sharks are endemic to the cold polar waters of the north Atlantic and Arctic oceans and can grow up to 17 feet in length. The scientists describe [URL="http://www.sciencemag.org/"]how they discovered the Greenland sharks' lifespan[/URL] today in the journal[I] Science[/I]. "We were blown away by the lifespan of these sharks," says Peter Bushnell, a biologist with the team at Indiana University, South Bend. "Frankly, we sort of looked at this at first and asked ourselves, OK, so where did we go wrong?" [/quote] [URL]http://www.popularmechanics.com/science/animals/a22278/greenland-shark-live-for-400-years/[/URL]
Damn, I never would have thought. I figured sea turtles or tortoises would have had the longest lifespan among the vertebrates.
Damn. Imagine if we, in the future, could somehow use this shark's genes to increase our lifespan.
[QUOTE=MaximLaHaxim;50870149]Damn. Imagine if we, in the future, could somehow use this shark's genes to increase our lifespan.[/QUOTE] Not an expert but they do say it has a lot to do with the environment, size, and consequently, the speed of metabolism. Colder environment - slower metabolism Larger size - slower metabolism Slower metabolism - longer lifespan Problem is that as a human, you kinda need to be very active, and have a fast metabolism to that end, hence we like relatively warm environments. Wouldn't surprise me if these things moved their muscles only really slowly so their slow metabolism can keep up. Much like turtles - living slowly but surely, and for a long time. Humans just don't have that kinda time to waste. Maybe there's more to it, though. They do admit we know next to nothing about these sharks.
[QUOTE=MaximLaHaxim;50870149]Damn. Imagine if we, in the future, could somehow use this shark's genes to increase our lifespan.[/QUOTE] I speculate that longevity in species is more due to "which part of this species lasts the shortest" and then evolution bringing everything else's standards down to that part because it's efficient that way, than a single gene we could just extract, implant, and extend our lives from.
[QUOTE=MaximLaHaxim;50870149]Damn. Imagine if we, in the future, could somehow use this shark's genes to increase our lifespan.[/QUOTE] I hope not. Having an even higher human population wouldn't be good.
I can't imagine what it would be like for a human to live that long. So many memories piling over one another, how would one even remember their childhood well after age 300
Okay that's pretty crazy how they used evidence from prior nuke testing in the 60's to base how long these sharks can live for
[QUOTE=Araknid;50872409]I hope not. Having an even higher human population wouldn't be good.[/QUOTE] I don't want to live with shark people [editline]12th August 2016[/editline] [QUOTE=Kite_shugo;50872539]Okay that's pretty crazy how they used evidence from prior nuke testing in the 60's to base how long these sharks can live for[/QUOTE] That's also used to verify the legitimacy of paintings that are supposedly hundreds of years old. They should contain absolutely no amount of some kind of isotope that was released during the first nuclear tests and doesn't occur naturally on Earth.
There are sharks living today older than the Peace of Westphalia
[QUOTE=Araknid;50872409]I hope not. Having an even higher human population wouldn't be good.[/QUOTE] Bitch please, it's not the population that's the problem, it's how we abuse the environment. Don't make that choice for me. I'd love to have an indefinite lifespan. You seriously going to tell me, "no you can't have that it's selfish"?
[QUOTE=Emperor Scorpious II;50872497]I can't imagine what it would be like for a human to live that long. So many memories piling over one another, how would one even remember their childhood well after age 300[/QUOTE] Technology will have advanced so much by that stage that we'll probably be able to re-watch certain memories like we're in VR.
[QUOTE=Nebukadnezzer;50872914]Bitch please, it's not the population that's the problem, it's how we abuse the environment. Don't make that choice for me. I'd love to have an indefinite lifespan. You seriously going to tell me, "no you can't have that it's selfish"?[/QUOTE] how about this, you can live forever as long as you agree to be sterilized. that's the best way to go about it imo
[QUOTE=Ninja Gnome;50883011]how about this, you can live forever as long as you agree to be sterilized. that's the best way to go about it imo[/QUOTE] Or be limited to one child until our population is reasonable
This is the only kind of shark that I've seen. They're fairly common here.
[QUOTE=Ninja Gnome;50883011]how about this, you can live forever as long as you agree to be sterilized. that's the best way to go about it imo[/QUOTE] Can I have a few kids before accepting this? Or, if we live forever, we can just go and expand into space. A planet for everyone to rule for eternity.
[QUOTE=Emperor Scorpious II;50886266]Can I have a few kids before accepting this? Or, if we live forever, we can just go and expand into space. A planet for everyone to rule for eternity.[/QUOTE] Yes, a new frontier. A no man's sky if you will.
[QUOTE=CommanderPT;50886630]Yes, a new frontier. A no man's sky if you will.[/QUOTE] Going to space only to discover the human eye can't see past 720p would be pretty nightmarish
[QUOTE=paul simon;50885905]This is the only kind of shark that I've seen. They're fairly common here.[/QUOTE] Do you all eat them like we do here ?
[QUOTE=Evile;50886692]Do you all eat them like we do here ?[/QUOTE] I've never eaten it myself, but I know some people here do. I know you have to prepare it carefully or else it'll get you sick.
Oh shit this is the shark that they make hákarl out of. Well that explains why it's so horrible. Literally eating 400 years old meat after letting it rot for good measure, what would you expect.
[QUOTE=Emperor Scorpious II;50886266]Can I have a few kids before accepting this? Or, if we live forever, we can just go and expand into space. A planet for everyone to rule for eternity.[/QUOTE] imagine a humanity so advanced you can buy a planet with your friends at a reasonable rate and populate it entirely with only your offspring if you so desired, you could be adam and eve
[QUOTE=paul simon;50886850]I've never eaten it myself, but I know some people here do. I know you have to prepare it carefully or else it'll get you sick.[/QUOTE] Can you get me some shark to eat while I'm here then? [editline]15th August 2016[/editline] [QUOTE=Mobon1;50887857]imagine a humanity so advanced you can buy a planet with your friends at a reasonable rate and populate it entirely with only your offspring if you so desired, you could be adam and eve[/QUOTE] With proper medical technology you might even be able to do it as Adam and Steve.
[QUOTE=Ninja Gnome;50883011]how about this, you can live forever as long as you agree to be sterilized. that's the best way to go about it imo[/QUOTE] done, easy choice
[QUOTE=Mobon1;50887857]imagine a humanity so advanced you can buy a planet with your friends at a reasonable rate and populate it entirely with only your offspring if you so desired, you could be adam and eve[/QUOTE] I don't think I want my sons fucking my daughters :v:
[QUOTE=Mobon1;50887857]imagine a humanity so advanced you can buy a planet with your friends at a reasonable rate and populate it entirely with only your offspring if you so desired, you could be adam and eve[/QUOTE] this feels like an extremely specific fetish
[QUOTE=Emperor Scorpious II;50889938]I don't think I want my sons fucking my daughters :v:[/QUOTE] fucking conservative
[QUOTE=MissZoey;50872545]I don't want to live with shark people [editline]12th August 2016[/editline] That's also used to verify the legitimacy of paintings that are supposedly hundreds of years old. They should contain absolutely no amount of some kind of isotope that was released during the first nuclear tests and doesn't occur naturally on Earth.[/QUOTE] Carbon dating?
lol fox and grapes in this thread If people started taking pills that made you not die you would fucking take them
This thing with which appears to be a seal replacing the tongue? [img]https://i.ytimg.com/vi/8EgJWFlm9ss/hqdefault.jpg[/img]
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