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America Is 250 Years Old: Some Animals Can Be Much Older!

By Adrian Newby

Live Long and Prosper
    This year marks the 250th birthday of the great United States of America. That sounds like quite some time, but in the grand scheme of things, it really isn’t that long. Despite having the oldest codified and functioning constitution, we are still very new players on the world stage. So new in fact, that there are are literal animals older than our country. While that might sound outrageous, it is true. God’s creation is vast, and much more magical than we can ever imagine.
    Our first long-lived creature for today is the aptly named Greenland shark. Greenland sharks are pretty good-sized for non-filter-feeding sharks. They are usually under 15 feet, but have reached upwards of 20 feet in some cases. Despite their imposing figure, there are no verified instances of them attacking humans. None of these are the primary reason we mention them today though, because their most interesting trait is their lifespan. Greenland sharks can live upwards of 300 years, and some specimens have ages estimated over 500 years! Isn’t that crazy? To think, that shark could’ve been cruising arctic waters since before the Pilgrims sailed to the New World. Greenland sharks only reach breeding age once they near 150 years of age, so it makes sense for them to have long lives.
    Next up on our list is the glass sponge. What is a glass sponge? Glass sponges are a family of deep water sponge found in every ocean. They prefer cold water, and are typically found from 2,000 to 10,000 feet. Just like Greenland Sharks they live a long time, but that is where the similarities end. Most all glass sponges are filter feeders, filtering thousands of gallons of water a day. According to current scientific aging methods, glass sponges can live for thousands of years. How many thousands? Easily upwards of 10,000, with some estimates reaching 23,000. Now, the reliability of theses age dating methods depends on your opinion of how old the world is. Many believe it’s billions of years old, and many believe that it is much closer to 10,000 years old. No matter what worldview you hold, it is interesting to know that these creatures can live, at very least, a of couple thousand years.
    Now for the grand finale. What in the world could have a longer lifespan than than a coral, which can live for potentially thousands of years? Well, how about a jellyfish which (biologically) can live forever? You heard that right, forever. Ladies and gentleman, introducing the “Immortal Jellyfish” (Turritopsis dohrnii). This unique little jelly is (unlike our other two critters) found in shallow tropical water. The “immortal” jellyfish is unique in it’s ability to revert from its cells back to polyps. They essentially de-age when stressed, which can (theoretically) allow them to live forever. That being said they can still get sick or be eaten, but it is interesting nonetheless.
    It is fun to zoom out and look at the grand scheme of time and where we fit in it. There are so many creatures out there that live longer than nations stand, and today’s list didn’t even start to scratch the surface. There are lots of beautiful and interesting creatures out there, and for the record, they can live a long time.