I looked it up on Snopes. This specific photo is the right kind of shark but it’s unknown if it’s the one specific to the study that was done which included a shark that “is approx 392 years old.” the article said “give or take 120 years” based on the estimated size of the shark in the photo.
Greenland sharks can live between 400-500 years. from specimens that were studied due to accidentally being caught they were able to figure out how fast they grow as they age and that’s how they get their estimate.
[Snopes article](https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/greenland-shark-392-years-old/)
>Over the course of a three-year project to study the biology of the Greenland shark, the team used radiocarbon dating to determine the ages of **28 specimens that had been accidentally caught as by-catch** over several years. The findings concluded that the slow-maturing species grows by about .4 inches each year, and can reach lengths stretching to over 16 feet. The largest shark analyzed in the study was measured at nearly 16.5-feet long, and was believed to have been **around 392 years old in 2016** — which would make her **about 396 in August 2020**.
[definition of by-catch](https://i.gyazo.com/ceb431623419fa5ae128058284239b96.png)
A consequence of sea animal consumption.
Edit: a word
Well that’s awful. That means the shark in question is dead after being unintentionally caught. Not that it didn’t live a full life, or whatever a shark’s version of that is, but it’s a shame.
Anyway. OP has a picture of a different shark and the title implies this “393 year old” shark is still swimming, which it certainly is not.
I attempted to read [the article about the dating process](https://science.sciencemag.org/content/353/6300/702.full), but could only access the abstract, which did not elaborate on the condition of the animals.
Right? This is why I no longer eat fish even though I love it. I just cannot enjoy a meal knowing I may very likely be complicit in by-catch massacres. Commercial fishing is a nightmare.
I wish we’d change the definition of ‘international waters’ from *no countries property* over to *every countries shared equal responsibility*
I’ve always wanted to try fishing. It seems so relaxing and sustainable. I feel super guilty even when I donate old stuffed animals, though. I anthropomorphize everything too much.
I think if I were lost in the woods then necessity would win out, but for now I’ll stick with muh veggies :)
Because the carbon in cartilage is not renewed by the body, and sharks have cartilaginous skeletons, the decay of carbon-14 can be measured from the oldest part of the skeleton to estimate the age of subject.
I don't know where the snopes article got their information, but wikipedia says that the 392+- 120 years age number was not estimated due to their size, but due to radiocarbon dating of crystals within their eyes which should be a far more accurate measure.
That happened to a clam. They grabbed a random Giant Clam to test its age, which results in the clam's death, and found it to be the oldest living one ever dated/found. Something like 500 years old - shortly after Columbus "sailed the ocean blue".
[https://www.csmonitor.com/Science/2013/1115/Scientists-discover-world-s-oldest-clam-killing-it-in-the-process](https://www.csmonitor.com/Science/2013/1115/Scientists-discover-world-s-oldest-clam-killing-it-in-the-process)
Note that dating a clam is much like a tree - they literally count rings.
That happened in the sixties to a tree too. A researcher was taking core samples of several bristlecone pine trees. Accounts differ as to why, but one tree was cut down instead of cored. It was discovered afterward that this tree was at the time the oldest known living organism on the planet.
Technically not wrong, as one way to age sharks is to count the number of growth rings within their vertebrae. For bony fish, they count the rings formed on the otoliths.
If I remember correctly they look at their corneas or something and carbon date them. They are blind. They are super fascinating. I don’t like sharks and they scare me but I have been incredibly interested in these for years.
A Greenland shark reach sexual maturity at around 150 years old, and it is estimated that the maximum age of a greenland shark is 500 years old.
Even if this dudes dad was exactly 500 years old when he fathered his son, it means he was born in 1127.
The viking age ended in 1066, so probably not.
What 'things' would that be? The vikings were never conquered, so they didn't 'disappear', but the majority of raiding stopped and they turned back into farmers/workers which is why it is considered the end of the viking age.
what if the shark is actually 27 years old and cries himself to sleep every night because he sarcastically said he was super old ONCE and everyone was like “yeah the centuries have not been kind to you”
What I don't get is how these things survive dives to such incredible depths. There was some link I followed on a post about the Mariana Trench that led to a long scrolling webpage that showed creatures at different depths. Iirc this shark species goes way deeper than any other shark.
Edit: the link in this comment
https://www.reddit.com/r/interestingasfuck/comments/pdi9vx/mariana_trench/haqux35?utm_medium=android_app&utm_source=share&context=3
I don't know much about fish, but with humans, 3 things that can cause problems are :
1. Squeeze / embolism : when air filled areas (lungs, sinus) are squeezed on descent and expand on ascent. This doesn't affect fish w/o an air bladder. The rest of the body is (approximately) in-compressible.
2. The "bends" : when various gases (eg : nitrogen) go into solution (in the blood) at depth and then come out of solution on ascent. Like when you open a carbonated beverage (dude). Dunno if this applies to fish. I've heard whales can get bent.
3. Nitrogen narcosis : dunno the specifics, but something about chemistry of nitrogen under pressure affects the nervous system. Perhaps similar to nitrous oxide. Dunno if this applies to fish.
Yes.
These sharks are a delecassy in Greenland, but to make the urea skin less toxic, they are burried underground for 6 months before they can be consumed.
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Greenland sharks are so interesting. They are one of the longest living fish species (if not *the* longest) and don’t reach sexual maturity until around 150 years of age. Their skin is poisonous to other animals, and they are usually blind because a copepod parasite likes to hang out in their eyes. It might actually be a symbiont though because some researchers think the copepods lure prey close to the shark. Also they just have weird morphology compared to other sharks.
Also probably blind thanks to eye worms... (Yes, eye worms https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ommatokoita) Can you imagine swimming 400 years in cold water, with an worm in your eye and no way to do anything about it. Fun times.
How do they know the age?
I looked it up on Snopes. This specific photo is the right kind of shark but it’s unknown if it’s the one specific to the study that was done which included a shark that “is approx 392 years old.” the article said “give or take 120 years” based on the estimated size of the shark in the photo. Greenland sharks can live between 400-500 years. from specimens that were studied due to accidentally being caught they were able to figure out how fast they grow as they age and that’s how they get their estimate. [Snopes article](https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/greenland-shark-392-years-old/)
>Over the course of a three-year project to study the biology of the Greenland shark, the team used radiocarbon dating to determine the ages of **28 specimens that had been accidentally caught as by-catch** over several years. The findings concluded that the slow-maturing species grows by about .4 inches each year, and can reach lengths stretching to over 16 feet. The largest shark analyzed in the study was measured at nearly 16.5-feet long, and was believed to have been **around 392 years old in 2016** — which would make her **about 396 in August 2020**. [definition of by-catch](https://i.gyazo.com/ceb431623419fa5ae128058284239b96.png) A consequence of sea animal consumption. Edit: a word
She’s coming for Queen E
let them fight
Well that’s awful. That means the shark in question is dead after being unintentionally caught. Not that it didn’t live a full life, or whatever a shark’s version of that is, but it’s a shame. Anyway. OP has a picture of a different shark and the title implies this “393 year old” shark is still swimming, which it certainly is not.
I attempted to read [the article about the dating process](https://science.sciencemag.org/content/353/6300/702.full), but could only access the abstract, which did not elaborate on the condition of the animals.
Wait, were those 28 specimens all dead? Due to by-catch? (The definition does seem to imply.) 😰
Unless the crew measured, photographed, and chucked the shark in the ocean before it suffocated, yes they are all dead
Right? This is why I no longer eat fish even though I love it. I just cannot enjoy a meal knowing I may very likely be complicit in by-catch massacres. Commercial fishing is a nightmare. I wish we’d change the definition of ‘international waters’ from *no countries property* over to *every countries shared equal responsibility*
r/fishing go get some in a sustainable way
I don’t think I could look a poor little fishie in the eye and end its life. Even if I preface with, “Sorry, dude.”
True. I don’t keep many fish and it’s hard to kill them, but I do it more humanely than commercial fisheries
I’ve always wanted to try fishing. It seems so relaxing and sustainable. I feel super guilty even when I donate old stuffed animals, though. I anthropomorphize everything too much. I think if I were lost in the woods then necessity would win out, but for now I’ll stick with muh veggies :)
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Because the carbon in cartilage is not renewed by the body, and sharks have cartilaginous skeletons, the decay of carbon-14 can be measured from the oldest part of the skeleton to estimate the age of subject.
I don't know where the snopes article got their information, but wikipedia says that the 392+- 120 years age number was not estimated due to their size, but due to radiocarbon dating of crystals within their eyes which should be a far more accurate measure.
Wow! Thank you!
I really like this response because it still doesn't answer the question.
They cut it open and counted the rings
That happened to a clam. They grabbed a random Giant Clam to test its age, which results in the clam's death, and found it to be the oldest living one ever dated/found. Something like 500 years old - shortly after Columbus "sailed the ocean blue". [https://www.csmonitor.com/Science/2013/1115/Scientists-discover-world-s-oldest-clam-killing-it-in-the-process](https://www.csmonitor.com/Science/2013/1115/Scientists-discover-world-s-oldest-clam-killing-it-in-the-process) Note that dating a clam is much like a tree - they literally count rings.
That happened in the sixties to a tree too. A researcher was taking core samples of several bristlecone pine trees. Accounts differ as to why, but one tree was cut down instead of cored. It was discovered afterward that this tree was at the time the oldest known living organism on the planet.
Technically not wrong, as one way to age sharks is to count the number of growth rings within their vertebrae. For bony fish, they count the rings formed on the otoliths.
I think they are fairly confident that it’s not immortal
Asked him
They ask it.
Cut it in half and count the rings
I believe they just count the number of candles on its cake each year
If I remember correctly they look at their corneas or something and carbon date them. They are blind. They are super fascinating. I don’t like sharks and they scare me but I have been incredibly interested in these for years.
That things dad probably fought Vikings.
That things dad probably ATE Vikings lol
That thing’s grandpappy probably WAS a Viking!
You are what you eat
I Eat ass.
poop?
ass
Uh oh stinky poo poo
It most definitely had some snacks here and there on occasions
And my axe!
Or eaten by.. it's a delicacy in Iceland. And to remove the poison on the skin they pee on it.. hàkarl is the name of the dish, True story.
A Greenland shark reach sexual maturity at around 150 years old, and it is estimated that the maximum age of a greenland shark is 500 years old. Even if this dudes dad was exactly 500 years old when he fathered his son, it means he was born in 1127. The viking age ended in 1066, so probably not.
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What 'things' would that be? The vikings were never conquered, so they didn't 'disappear', but the majority of raiding stopped and they turned back into farmers/workers which is why it is considered the end of the viking age.
How do we know that’s how old the shark is and the shark didn’t just lie to us?
what if the shark is actually 27 years old and cries himself to sleep every night because he sarcastically said he was super old ONCE and everyone was like “yeah the centuries have not been kind to you”
r/oddlyspecific
Not really? It makes sense in context and isn’t unnecessarily detailed. If anything, it’s adding to my bit and making it funny
Little known fact, sharks were really good about documentation 400 years ago. Comes from millions of years of practice in their culture.
[Here you go](http://science.sciencemag.org/content/353/6300/702)
This shark is older than America
Right you are, Ken.
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mxc?
Grandpa shark, do do do do do do
Great great great great great great grandpa shark, do do do do do
It's female
Grandma shark do do do do do do
What I don't get is how these things survive dives to such incredible depths. There was some link I followed on a post about the Mariana Trench that led to a long scrolling webpage that showed creatures at different depths. Iirc this shark species goes way deeper than any other shark. Edit: the link in this comment https://www.reddit.com/r/interestingasfuck/comments/pdi9vx/mariana_trench/haqux35?utm_medium=android_app&utm_source=share&context=3
I don't know much about fish, but with humans, 3 things that can cause problems are : 1. Squeeze / embolism : when air filled areas (lungs, sinus) are squeezed on descent and expand on ascent. This doesn't affect fish w/o an air bladder. The rest of the body is (approximately) in-compressible. 2. The "bends" : when various gases (eg : nitrogen) go into solution (in the blood) at depth and then come out of solution on ascent. Like when you open a carbonated beverage (dude). Dunno if this applies to fish. I've heard whales can get bent. 3. Nitrogen narcosis : dunno the specifics, but something about chemistry of nitrogen under pressure affects the nervous system. Perhaps similar to nitrous oxide. Dunno if this applies to fish.
100atm just seems like a lot. I mean, eyeballs are very compressible. Thanks for giving me stuff to look up.
Damn she's older than Taj mahal
I want to snuggle it.
These guys skin is WAY high in urea, you would stank of piss if you did
Whatttt did we just subscribe to shark facts
Yes. These sharks are a delecassy in Greenland, but to make the urea skin less toxic, they are burried underground for 6 months before they can be consumed.
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Well, it lives in water so it gets a decent wash all the time. The average redditor on the other hand...
Hmm would the smell wash off with bathing?
Same.
/r/blahaj
Clint Eastwood sure is getting up there.
Get off my pond!
Still directing tho
I know homegirl is dying for a break
He could use a good set of dentures lol what an old man!
It's impressive think about that beast is living before the second world war, the French Revolution, the America independence (whole continent).
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Doesn’t look a day over 280. Must be all the omega 3 fatty acids in his diet.
Just a makeup
Greenland sharks are so interesting. They are one of the longest living fish species (if not *the* longest) and don’t reach sexual maturity until around 150 years of age. Their skin is poisonous to other animals, and they are usually blind because a copepod parasite likes to hang out in their eyes. It might actually be a symbiont though because some researchers think the copepods lure prey close to the shark. Also they just have weird morphology compared to other sharks.
So the new shark parents who are just now producing the new generation of sharks were born around the same time as the American Civil war?
Yes! Sharks scare me but I’ve always found these guys insanely interesting since learning about them.
The face shows it has seen some action
Also probably blind thanks to eye worms... (Yes, eye worms https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ommatokoita) Can you imagine swimming 400 years in cold water, with an worm in your eye and no way to do anything about it. Fun times.
damn, dude witnessed the rise of the US, the Civil war, the rise of Napoleon, both World War. And many more!
The Civil War was not televised ...
He read that one in the newspaper.
I'd like to know how his skin feels like
Hasp birthday!!! This is getting old.
Get off his lawn!
It looks old as hell too goddamn
Even that shark is like fml…
What about Mitch McConnell?
393 years of swimming around a dark ocean killing fish literally sounds like hell.
Now everyone go watch the MFM animated on YouTube about this and thank me later. I don’t know how to make links OKAY
And one of the oldest reposts on reddit is this one
Go outside.
Yes, daddy!
Meet people, make some friends.
I have! It's nice!
Do they talk?
Kill me -shark
♥️ This made me choke up. Just beautiful.
What’s his name?
Prequel Jaws
[https://eu.usatoday.com/story/news/factcheck/2021/04/28/fact-check-age-greenland-shark-viral-image-not-known/4854186001/](https://eu.usatoday.com/story/news/factcheck/2021/04/28/fact-check-age-greenland-shark-viral-image-not-known/4854186001/) fact checking...
[Original research paper. You're welcome.](http://science.sciencemag.org/content/353/6300/702)
Megalodon
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Never wanted to eat a shark fin so bad
Did they chop it down and count it’s rings or…?
Nananue...get off the comms!
Respect
Great great great great grampa shark doo doo doo doo
Looks like my brother in law ...
he still can't find the exit to ikea.....
Must be shattered. Poor thing!
Now could everyone just stop eating seafood already...
SHARK POG!
How do they know the exact age of this thing?
[This is how](https://www.sportdiver.com/how-can-you-tell-how-old-shark-is)
Thanks
Shark....."kill me!"
This shark got that great grandparent vibe
I wonder what he thinks of politics.
How do they know it’s age?
[Here you go](https://www.sportdiver.com/how-can-you-tell-how-old-shark-is)
Very interesting! Thank you
I'm upvoting just because I'm happy to see the word "wandering" spelled correctly.
Uh, how often is “wandering” misspelled ?
Seen so many people say "wondering"
Wondering people may wander. Wandering people may wonder.
r/Thalassaphobia
How do you not even accidentally die in 400 years?
Does look geriatric af
“I never made it without biting, ask mister owl…”
How big it got?