List of long-living organisms
Encyclopedia
This is a list of the oldest individual lifeforms
. This is usually defined as:
is the change in the biology of an organism
, as it ages after its maturity. If the mortality rate of a species does not increase after maturity, the species does not age. There are many examples of plants and animals for which the mortality rate actually decreases with age, for all or part of the life cycle. Coral
colonies
and aspen
trees are the clearest examples. Some large trees may routinely grow in size for decades, while their mortality rates decrease. Some sources say that sharks, too, grow larger in size while their mortality rate decreases, for long periods of their lives.
If the mortality rate remains constant, the rate determines the mean lifespan. The lifespan can be long or short, even though the species technically "does not age". There are many examples of species for which scientists have not detected an increase in mortality rate after maturity. An alternative explanation for this phenomenon may be that the mean lifespan of the species is so long that the modern scientific study of longevity and senescence has not yet matured enough itself to measure longevity in the species.
There are stranger examples of species that have been observed to regress to a larval state and regrow into adults multiple times:
Species
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
. This is usually defined as:
- Having a longer life spanLongevityThe word "longevity" is sometimes used as a synonym for "life expectancy" in demography or known as "long life", especially when it concerns someone or something lasting longer than expected ....
than any other known individual (such as the Methuselah treeMethuselah (tree)Methuselah is a Great Basin Bristlecone Pine tree growing high in the White Mountains of Inyo County in eastern California. Its measured age of 4,842 years makes it the world's oldest known living non-clonal organism...
) - LongevityLongevityThe word "longevity" is sometimes used as a synonym for "life expectancy" in demography or known as "long life", especially when it concerns someone or something lasting longer than expected ....
record-holders (such as Jeanne CalmentJeanne CalmentJeanne Louise Calment was a French supercentenarian who had the longest confirmed human life span in history, living to the age of . She lived in Arles, France, for her entire life, and outlived both her daughter and grandson. She became especially well known from the age of 113, when the...
)
Zero or negligible senescence
SenescenceSenescence
Senescence or biological aging is the change in the biology of an organism as it ages after its maturity. Such changes range from those affecting its cells and their function to those affecting the whole organism...
is the change in the biology of an organism
Organism
In biology, an organism is any contiguous living system . In at least some form, all organisms are capable of response to stimuli, reproduction, growth and development, and maintenance of homoeostasis as a stable whole.An organism may either be unicellular or, as in the case of humans, comprise...
, as it ages after its maturity. If the mortality rate of a species does not increase after maturity, the species does not age. There are many examples of plants and animals for which the mortality rate actually decreases with age, for all or part of the life cycle. Coral
Coral
Corals are marine animals in class Anthozoa of phylum Cnidaria typically living in compact colonies of many identical individual "polyps". The group includes the important reef builders that inhabit tropical oceans and secrete calcium carbonate to form a hard skeleton.A coral "head" is a colony of...
colonies
Clonal colony
A clonal colony or genet is a group of genetically identical individuals that have grown in a given location, all originating vegetatively from a single ancestor. In plants, an individual in such a population is referred to as a ramet...
and aspen
Aspen
Populus section Populus, of the Populus genus, includes the aspen trees and the white poplar Populus alba. The five typical aspens are all native to cold regions with cool summers, in the north of the Northern Hemisphere, extending south at high altitudes in the mountains. The White Poplar, by...
trees are the clearest examples. Some large trees may routinely grow in size for decades, while their mortality rates decrease. Some sources say that sharks, too, grow larger in size while their mortality rate decreases, for long periods of their lives.
If the mortality rate remains constant, the rate determines the mean lifespan. The lifespan can be long or short, even though the species technically "does not age". There are many examples of species for which scientists have not detected an increase in mortality rate after maturity. An alternative explanation for this phenomenon may be that the mean lifespan of the species is so long that the modern scientific study of longevity and senescence has not yet matured enough itself to measure longevity in the species.
- SaniculaSaniculaSanicula is a genus of plants in family Apiaceae , the same family to which the carrot and parsnip belong. This genus has about 40 species worldwide, with 22 in North America. The common names usually include the label sanicle or black snakeroot.-List of species:*S. arctopoides, Footsteps of...
is a shrubShrubA shrub or bush is distinguished from a tree by its multiple stems and shorter height, usually under 5–6 m tall. A large number of plants may become either shrubs or trees, depending on the growing conditions they experience...
, native to EuropeEuropeEurope is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
and the AmericasNew WorldThe New World is one of the names used for the Western Hemisphere, specifically America and sometimes Oceania . The term originated in the late 15th century, when America had been recently discovered by European explorers, expanding the geographical horizon of the people of the European middle...
, which lives about 70 years in the wild. Old saniculae do not die at a higher rate than younger ones.
- Sea urchins, lobsters and some clamsCLaMSCLaMS is a modular chemistry transport model system developed at Forschungszentrum Jülich, Germany. CLaMS was first described by McKenna et al. and was expanded into three dimensions by Konopka et al....
have relatively high rates of mortality in the ocean, but mortality does not appear to increase with age.
- Hydras were observed, in a study published in the journal Experimental Gerontology, for four years without any increase in mortality rate.
There are stranger examples of species that have been observed to regress to a larval state and regrow into adults multiple times:
- The HydrozoaHydrozoaHydrozoa are a taxonomic class of very small, predatory animals which can be solitary or colonial and which mostly live in saltwater. A few genera within this class live in freshwater...
n species Turritopsis nutriculaTurritopsis nutriculaTurritopsis nutricula, the immortal jellyfish, is a hydrozoan whose medusa, or jellyfish, form can revert to the polyp stage after becoming sexually mature. It is the only known case of a metazoan capable of reverting completely to a sexually immature, colonial stage after having reached sexual...
is capable of cycling from a mature adult stage to an immature polypPolypA polyp in zoology is one of two forms found in the phylum Cnidaria, the other being the medusa. Polyps are approximately cylindrical in shape and elongated at the axis of the body...
stage and back again. This means that there may be no natural limit to its life span. However, no single specimen has been observed for any extended period, and it is impossible to estimate the age of a specimen.
- Carrion beetleCarrion beetleSilphidae is a family of beetles that are known commonly as carrion or burying beetles. There are two subfamilies: Silphinae and Nicrophorinae. Both families feed on decaying organic matter such as dead animals. The families differ in which uses parental care and which types of carcasses they prefer...
s have been made to regress within the larval stage when starved, and to regrow into previous size. The cycle can be repeated many times.
Revived into activity after stasis
- Various claims have been made about reviving bacterial sporesEndosporeAn endospore is a dormant, tough, and temporarily non-reproductive structure produced by certain bacteria from the Firmicute phylum. The name "endospore" is suggestive of a spore or seed-like form , but it is not a true spore . It is a stripped-down, dormant form to which the bacterium can reduce...
to active metabolism after millions of years. There are claims of spores from amberAmberAmber is fossilized tree resin , which has been appreciated for its color and natural beauty since Neolithic times. Amber is used as an ingredient in perfumes, as a healing agent in folk medicine, and as jewelry. There are five classes of amber, defined on the basis of their chemical constituents...
being revived after 40 million years, and spores from salt deposits in New Mexico being revived after 240 million years. These claims have been made by credible researchers, but are not universally accepted. In a related find, a scientist was able to coax 34,000 year old salt-captured bacteria to reproduce and his results were duplicated at a separate independent laboratory facility. - A seed from the previously extinct Judean date palmJudean date palmThe Judean date palm is a cultivar of the date palm .Prized for its beauty, shade, and medicinal properties, the cultivar was thought to have become extinct sometime around AD 150. However, in 2005, a preserved 2,000-year-old seed sprouted. It is the oldest known human-assisted germination of a seed...
was revived and managed to sprout after nearly 2,000 years.
Clonal plant colonies
- As with all long-lived plant and fungal species, no individual part of a clonal colony is alive (in the sense of active metabolismMetabolismMetabolism is the set of chemical reactions that happen in the cells of living organisms to sustain life. These processes allow organisms to grow and reproduce, maintain their structures, and respond to their environments. Metabolism is usually divided into two categories...
) for more than a very small fraction of the life of the entire clone. Some clonal colonies may be fully connected via their root systemsRootIn vascular plants, the root is the organ of a plant that typically lies below the surface of the soil. This is not always the case, however, since a root can also be aerial or aerating . Furthermore, a stem normally occurring below ground is not exceptional either...
, while most are not actually interconnected, but are genetically identical clones which populated an area through vegetative reproductionVegetative reproductionVegetative reproduction is a form of asexual reproduction in plants. It is a process by which new individuals arise without production of seeds or spores...
. Ages for clonal colonies, often based on current growth rates, are estimates.
- PandoPando (tree)Pando is a clonal colony of a single male Quaking Aspen located in the U.S. state of Utah, all determined to be part of a single living organism by identical genetic markers and one massive underground root system, although whether it is a single tree is disputed...
is a Populus tremuloides (Quaking Aspen)Populus tremuloidesPopulus tremuloides is a deciduous tree native to cooler areas of North America, commonly called quaking aspen, trembling aspen, American aspen, and Quakies,. The trees have tall trunks, up to 25 metres, with smooth pale bark, scarred with black. The glossy green leaves, dull beneath, become golden...
tree or clonal colony that has been estimated at 80,000 years old, although some claims place it as being as old as one million years. Unlike many other clonal "colonies" the above ground trunks remain connected to each other via a single massive underground root system. Whether it is to be considered a single tree is disputed, as it depends on one's definition of an individual tree. - The Jurupa OakJurupa OakThe Jurupa Oak is a clonal colony of Quercus palmeri trees in Riverside County, southern California. The Oak colony has survived an estimated 13,000 years through clonal reproduction, following burning in wildfires....
colony is estimated to be at least 13,000 years of age, with other estimates ranging from 5,000 to 30,000 years. - A huge colony of the sea grass Posidonia oceanicaPosidonia oceanicaPosidonia oceanica is a seagrass species that is endemic to the Mediterranean Sea. It forms large underwater meadows that are an important part of the ecosystem. The fruit is free floating and known in Italy as 'the olive of the sea'...
in the Mediterranean SeaMediterranean SeaThe Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean surrounded by the Mediterranean region and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Anatolia and Europe, on the south by North Africa, and on the east by the Levant...
could be up to 100,000 years old. - King's LomatiaKing's LomatiaKing's Lomatia is a Tasmanian shrub from the family Proteaceae. The plant has shiny green leaves and bears pink flowers, but yields neither fruit nor seeds. Only one colony of King's Lomatia is known to be alive in the wild...
in Tasmania: The sole surviving clonal colony of this species is estimated to be at least 43,600 years old. - A box huckleberryGaylussacia brachyceraGaylussacia brachycera, commonly known as box huckleberry or box-leaved whortleberry, is a low North American shrub related to the blueberry and the other huckleberries. It is easily distinguished from other members of its genus by its leaves: they resemble those of boxwood and lack the resin...
bush in Pennsylvania is thought to be as old as 13,000 years of age. - Eucalyptus recurvaEucalyptus recurvaEucalyptus recurva is a species of plant in the Myrtaceae family. It is endemic to New South Wales.-Source:* World Conservation Monitoring Centre 1998. . Downloaded on 21 August 2007....
: clones in Australia are claimed to be 13,000 years old. - Quercus palmeriQuercus palmeriQuercus palmeri is a species of oak known by the common name Palmer oak, or Palmer's oak. It is native to California, Baja California, and in Arizona through the transition zone to the eastern Mogollon Rim, where it grows in canyons, mountain slopes, washes, and other dry habitat...
: a clonal oak shrub near Riverside in California, isolated for centuries from the rest of its species, is dated at around 13,000 years old. - King CloneKing CloneKing Clone is thought to be the oldest Creosote bush ring in the Mojave Desert is estimated to be 11,700 years old. It is considered one of the oldest living organisms on Earth...
is a creosote bush (Larrea tridentata) in the Mojave desertMojave DesertThe Mojave Desert occupies a significant portion of southeastern California and smaller parts of central California, southern Nevada, southwestern Utah and northwestern Arizona, in the United States...
estimated at 11,700 years old. Another creosote bush has been said to be 12,150 years old, but this is as yet unconfirmed. - A Huon Pine colony on Mount ReadMount Read (Tasmania)Mount Read is a mountain in Tasmania, Australia, that is at the north west edge of what is known as the West Coast RangeAs colourful a history as that of Mount Lyell, Mount Read has had mines, settlements and other activities on its slopes for over a hundred years.The main copper and gold ore...
, TasmaniaTasmaniaTasmania is an Australian island and state. It is south of the continent, separated by Bass Strait. The state includes the island of Tasmania—the 26th largest island in the world—and the surrounding islands. The state has a population of 507,626 , of whom almost half reside in the greater Hobart...
is estimated at 10,000 years old, with individual specimens living to over 3,000 years. - A colony of Norway SpruceNorway SpruceNorway Spruce is a species of spruce native to Europe. It is also commonly referred to as the European Spruce.- Description :...
in SwedenSwedenSweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
, nicknamed Old TjikkoOld TjikkoOld Tjikko is a 9,550 year old Norway Spruce tree, located on Fulufjället Mountain of Dalarna province in Sweden. Old Tjikko is the world's oldest living individual clonal tree, however, there are many examples of much older clonal colonies , such as "Pando", estimated to be over 80,000 years...
, includes remnants of roots that have been carbon dated to 9,550 years old. - An individual of the fungus species Armillaria solidipes in the Malheur National ForestMalheur National ForestThe Malheur National Forest is a National Forest in the U.S. state of Oregon. It contains 1.7 million acres in the Blue Mountains of eastern Oregon. The forest include high desert grasslands, sage, juniper, pine, fir, and other tree species. Elevations vary from about 4000 feet to the 9038...
is thought to be between 2,000 and 8,500 years old. It is thought to be the world's largest organism by area, at 2,384 acres (965 hectares).
Individual plant specimens
- A Great Basin Bristlecone PineGreat Basin Bristlecone PinePinus longaeva, the Great Basin Bristlecone Pine, is a long-living species of tree found in the higher mountains of the southwest United States. The species is one of three closely related trees known as bristlecone pines and is sometimes known as the Intermountain or Western bristlecone pine...
(Pinus longaeva) called PrometheusPrometheus (tree)Prometheus was the oldest known non-clonal organism, a Great Basin Bristlecone Pine tree growing near the tree line on Wheeler Peak in eastern Nevada, United States...
was measured by ring countDendrochronologyDendrochronology or tree-ring dating is the scientific method of dating based on the analysis of patterns of tree-rings. Dendrochronology can date the time at which tree rings were formed, in many types of wood, to the exact calendar year...
at 4,862 years old when it was felled in 1964. This is the greatest verified age for any living organism at the time of its felling. Another Great Basin Bristlecone Pine, known as MethuselahMethuselah (tree)Methuselah is a Great Basin Bristlecone Pine tree growing high in the White Mountains of Inyo County in eastern California. Its measured age of 4,842 years makes it the world's oldest known living non-clonal organism...
, measured by ring count of sample cores is, at 4,842 years old, the oldest known tree in North America, and the oldest known living individual tree in the world. - Llangernyw YewLlangernyw YewThe Llangernyw Yew is an ancient yew in the churchyard of the village of Llangernyw in Conwy County Borough, North Wales. The tree is fragmented and its core part has been lost, leaving several enormous offshoots. The girth of the tree at the ground level is 10.75 m.-History:This male yew tree...
, the oldest individual tree in Europe and second or third oldest individual tree in the world. Believed to be aged between 4,000 years and 5,000 years old this ancient yewTaxaceaeThe family Taxaceae, commonly called the yew family, includes three genera and about 7 to 12 species of coniferous plants, or in other interpretations , six genera and about 30 species....
(Taxus baccata) is in the churchyard of the village of LlangernywLlangernywLlangernyw is a rural, mostly Welsh-speaking, village in Conwy County Borough, north Wales. The population was 960 in 2001, 67% Welsh-speaking...
in North WalesNorth WalesNorth Wales is the northernmost unofficial region of Wales. It is bordered to the south by the counties of Ceredigion and Powys in Mid Wales and to the east by the counties of Shropshire in the West Midlands and Cheshire in North West England...
. - Fortingall YewFortingall YewThe Fortingall Yew is an ancient yew in the churchyard of the village of Fortingall in Perthshire, Scotland. Various estimates have put its age at between 2,000 and 5,000 years; recent research into yew tree ages suggests that it is likely to be nearer the lower limit of 2,000 years...
, an ancient yewTaxaceaeThe family Taxaceae, commonly called the yew family, includes three genera and about 7 to 12 species of coniferous plants, or in other interpretations , six genera and about 30 species....
(Taxus baccata) in the churchyard of the village of Fortingall in PerthshirePerthshirePerthshire, officially the County of Perth , is a registration county in central Scotland. It extends from Strathmore in the east, to the Pass of Drumochter in the north, Rannoch Moor and Ben Lui in the west, and Aberfoyle in the south...
, ScotlandScotlandScotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
; one of the oldest known individual trees in EuropeEuropeEurope is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
. Various estimates have put its age at between 2000 and 5000 years, although these days it is believed to be at the lower end of this range. - Fitzroya cupressoidesFitzroyaFitzroya is a monotypic genus in the cypress family.-Species:The single living species, Fitzroya cupressoides, is a tall, long-lived conifer native to the Andes mountains of southern Chile and Argentina, where it is an important member of the Valdivian temperate rain forests...
is the species with the second oldest verified age, a specimen in ChileChileChile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
being measured by ring count as 3,622 years old. - A Sacred FigSacred FigThe Sacred Fig, Ficus religiosa, or Bo-Tree , Peepal is a species of banyan fig native to India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, southwest China and Indochina...
(Ficus religiosa) specimen, the Sri Maha BodhiSri Maha BodhiJaya Sri Maha Bodhi is a Sacred Fig tree in Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka. It is said to be a sapling from the historical Bodhi tree under which Buddha became enlightened...
, is (if its reported planting date of 288 BC is correct) at 2,293 years old, the oldest known flowering plantFlowering plantThe flowering plants , also known as Angiospermae or Magnoliophyta, are the most diverse group of land plants. Angiosperms are seed-producing plants like the gymnosperms and can be distinguished from the gymnosperms by a series of synapomorphies...
. - A specimen of Lagarostrobos franklinii in TasmaniaTasmaniaTasmania is an Australian island and state. It is south of the continent, separated by Bass Strait. The state includes the island of Tasmania—the 26th largest island in the world—and the surrounding islands. The state has a population of 507,626 , of whom almost half reside in the greater Hobart...
is thought to be about 2000 years old. - Numerous OliveOliveThe olive , Olea europaea), is a species of a small tree in the family Oleaceae, native to the coastal areas of the eastern Mediterranean Basin as well as northern Iran at the south end of the Caspian Sea.Its fruit, also called the olive, is of major agricultural importance in the...
trees are purported to be 2000 years old or older. An olive tree in Ano Vouves, CreteCreteCrete is the largest and most populous of the Greek islands, the fifth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, and one of the thirteen administrative regions of Greece. It forms a significant part of the economy and cultural heritage of Greece while retaining its own local cultural traits...
, claiming such longevity, has been confirmed on the basis of tree ring analysisDendrochronologyDendrochronology or tree-ring dating is the scientific method of dating based on the analysis of patterns of tree-rings. Dendrochronology can date the time at which tree rings were formed, in many types of wood, to the exact calendar year...
. - Jōmon SugiJomon Sugiis a large cryptomeria tree located on Yakushima, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, in Japan. It is the oldest and largest of nearly 2,000-year-old-growth cryptomeria trees on the island,and is estimated to be between 2,170and 7,200 years old....
, the cryptomeriaCryptomeriaCryptomeria is a monotypic genus of conifer in the cypress family Cupressaceae formerly belonging to the family Taxodiaceae; it includes only one species, Cryptomeria japonica . It is endemic to Japan, where it is known as Sugi...
naturally grown in Yakushima IslandYakushima, one of the Ōsumi Islands, is an island of about 500 km² and roughly 15,000 islanders to the south of Kyūshū in Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan. The Vincennes Strait separates it from Tanegashima. The highest point on the island is Miyanoura-dake at 1,935 metres...
, KagoshimaKagoshima Prefectureis a prefecture of Japan located on the island of Kyushu. The capital is the city of Kagoshima.- Geography :Kagoshima Prefecture is located at the southwest tip of Kyushu and includes a chain of islands stretching further to the southwest for a few hundred kilometers...
, JapanJapanJapan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, more than 2,170 to 7,200 years old. - Great sugi of KayanoGreat sugi of KayanoThe is a Cryptomeria tree at Yamanaka Onsen in Kaga, Ishikawa Prefecture, Japan. One of the four trees believed to be sacred in the precincts of the Sugawara Shrine, it has received the distinction of designation as a Special Natural Monument from the Agency for Cultural Affairs of Japan.The tree...
, the cryptomeriaCryptomeriaCryptomeria is a monotypic genus of conifer in the cypress family Cupressaceae formerly belonging to the family Taxodiaceae; it includes only one species, Cryptomeria japonica . It is endemic to Japan, where it is known as Sugi...
deemed planted by humans in KagaKaga, Ishikawais a city located in the southwest of Ishikawa Prefecture, Japan.Created as an old temple town, the city was greatly developed by the Maeda clan in the early Edo period...
, IshikawaIshikawa Prefectureis a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region on Honshū island. The capital is Kanazawa.- History :Ishikawa was formed from the merger of Kaga Province and the smaller Noto Province.- Geography :Ishikawa is on the Sea of Japan coast...
, JapanJapanJapan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, estimated age of 2,300 years in 1928. - WelwitschiaWelwitschiaWelwitschia is a monotypic genus of gymnosperm plant, composed solely of the very distinct Welwitschia mirabilis. The plant is commonly simply known as Welwitschia in English. It is known locally as !kharos or khurub , tweeblaarkanniedood , nyanka , or onyanga , among others...
is a monotypicMonotypicIn biology, a monotypic taxon is a taxonomic group with only one biological type. The term's usage differs slightly between botany and zoology. The term monotypic has a separate use in conservation biology, monotypic habitat, regarding species habitat conversion eliminating biodiversity and...
genus of gymnospermGymnospermThe gymnosperms are a group of seed-bearing plants that includes conifers, cycads, Ginkgo, and Gnetales. The term "gymnosperm" comes from the Greek word gymnospermos , meaning "naked seeds", after the unenclosed condition of their seeds...
plant, composed solely of the very distinct Welwitschia mirabilis. It is the only genus of the family Welwitschiaceae, in the order Welwitschiales, in the division GnetophytaGnetophytaThe plant division Gnetophyta or gnetophytes consists of three genera of woody plants grouped in the gymnosperms. The living Gnetophyta consists of around 70 species across the three genera Gnetum , Welwitschia , and Ephedra .The gnetophytes differ from other gymnosperms The plant division...
. The plant is considered a living fossil. Radiocarbon datingRadiocarbon datingRadiocarbon dating is a radiometric dating method that uses the naturally occurring radioisotope carbon-14 to estimate the age of carbon-bearing materials up to about 58,000 to 62,000 years. Raw, i.e. uncalibrated, radiocarbon ages are usually reported in radiocarbon years "Before Present" ,...
has confirmed that there are many individuals which have lived longer than 1000 years, and some are suspected to be older than 2000 years. - YaretaYaretaYareta is a tiny flowering plant in the family Apiaceae native to South America, occurring in the Puna grasslands of the Andes in Peru, Bolivia, the north of Chile and the west of Argentina at between 3200 and 4500 metres altitude.Yareta is an evergreen perennial being in leaf...
is a tiny flowering plantFlowering plantThe flowering plants , also known as Angiospermae or Magnoliophyta, are the most diverse group of land plants. Angiosperms are seed-producing plants like the gymnosperms and can be distinguished from the gymnosperms by a series of synapomorphies...
in the family ApiaceaeApiaceaeThe Apiaceae , commonly known as carrot or parsley family, is a group of mostly aromatic plants with hollow stems. The family is large, with more than 3,700 species spread across 434 genera, it is the sixteenth largest family of flowering plants...
native to South AmericaSouth AmericaSouth America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
, occurring in the Puna grasslandPuna grasslandThe Puna grassland ecoregion, of the montane grasslands and shrublands biome, is found in the central Andes Mountains of South America. It is considered one of the eight Natural Regions in Peru, but extends south as far as northern Argentina and Chile....
s of the AndesAndesThe Andes is the world's longest continental mountain range. It is a continual range of highlands along the western coast of South America. This range is about long, about to wide , and of an average height of about .Along its length, the Andes is split into several ranges, which are separated...
in PeruPeruPeru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
, BoliviaBoliviaBolivia officially known as Plurinational State of Bolivia , is a landlocked country in central South America. It is the poorest country in South America...
, the north of ChileChileChile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
and the west of ArgentinaArgentinaArgentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
at between 3200 and 4500 metres altitude. Many yaretas are over 3,000 years old.
Animals
- A subdivision of Black CoralBlack coralBlack corals are a group of deep water, tree-like corals related to sea anemones. They are also found in rare dark shallow water areas such as New Zealand's Milford Sound where they can be viewed from an underwater observatory. They normally occur in the tropics...
, A. Leiopathes sp. specimens, is among the oldest continuously living organisms on the planet; around 4,265 years old. - The giant barrel sponge Xestospongia mutaXestospongia mutaXestospongia muta, commonly known as the giant barrel sponge, is one of the largest species of sponge found in the Caribbean. It grows at depths of or more and it grows between 60 cm and 1.8 m. It is brown-grey to reddish in color, with a hard or stony texture. There is little scientific...
is one of the longest-lived animals, with the largest specimens in the Caribbean estimated to be in excess of 2,300 years. - The black coral Antipatharia in the Gulf of Mexico may live more than 2000 years.
- The Antarctic sponge Cinachyra antarctica has an extremely slow growth rate in the low temperatures of the Southern OceanSouthern OceanThe Southern Ocean comprises the southernmost waters of the World Ocean, generally taken to be south of 60°S latitude and encircling Antarctica. It is usually regarded as the fourth-largest of the five principal oceanic divisions...
. One specimen has been estimated to be 1,550 years old. - A specimen of the Icelandic Cyprine Arctica islandicaArctica islandicaArctica islandica, commonly known as the ocean quahog, is an edible marine bivalve mollusk native to the North Atlantic ocean, which is harvested commercially...
(also known as an ocean quahog), a mollusk, was found to have lived 405 years and possibly up to 410. Another specimen had a recorded life span of 374 years. - Some koi fish have reportedly lived more than 200 years, the oldest being Hanako, died at an age of 226 years on July 7, 1977.
- Some confirmed sources estimated Bowhead WhaleBowhead WhaleThe bowhead whale is a baleen whale of the right whale family Balaenidae in suborder Mysticeti. A stocky dark-colored whale without a dorsal fin, it can grow to in length. This thick-bodied species can weigh to , second only to the blue whale, although the bowhead's maximum length is less than...
s to have lived at least to 211 years of age, making them the oldest mammalMammalMammals are members of a class of air-breathing vertebrate animals characterised by the possession of endothermy, hair, three middle ear bones, and mammary glands functional in mothers with young...
s. - In recent times, the Russian malacologist Valeriy ZyuganovValeriy ZyuganovValeriy Valeryevich Zyuganov is a Soviet and Russian biologist, and Doctor of Biological Sciences. He is the pupil and follower of professors V.V. Khlebovich, and Yu. A...
received worldwide reputation after he determined the maximum lifespan (210–250 years) in the freshwater pearl mussel (Margaritifera margaritifera)Freshwater pearl musselThe freshwater pearl mussel, scientific name Margaritifera margaritifera, is an endangered species of freshwater mussel, an aquatic bivalve mollusc in the family Margaritiferidae....
. The data of V.V. Zyuganov have been confirmed by Finnish malacologists and gained general acceptance. - Specimens of the Red Sea Urchin, Strongylocentrotus franciscanus, have been found to be over 200 years old.
- AdwaitaAdwaitaAdwaita was the name of a male Aldabra giant tortoise in the Alipore Zoological Gardens of Kolkata, India...
, a Aldabra Giant TortoiseAldabra Giant TortoiseThe Aldabra giant tortoise , from the islands of the Aldabra Atoll in the Seychelles, is one of the largest tortoises in the world....
died at the age of 255 in March 2006. - Tu'i MalilaTu'i Malilaright|thumb|200px||A photo of the tortoise's preserved body, 2003.Tu'i Malila was a tortoise given to the royal family of Tonga by Captain James Cook. It was a radiated tortoise from Madagascar and is the second longest-lived tortoise whose age has been verified.The name means King Malila in the...
, a Radiated tortoiseRadiated TortoiseThe radiated tortoise is a species in the family Testudinidae. Although this species is native to and most abundant in southern Madagascar, it can be also be found in the rest of this island, and has been introduced to the islands of Réunion and Mauritius...
, died at an age of 188 years in May 1965, the oldest verified vertebrate. - Harriet, a Galápagos tortoiseGalápagos tortoiseThe Galápagos tortoise or Galápagos giant tortoise is the largest living species of tortoise, reaching weights of over and lengths of over . With life spans in the wild of over 100 years, it is one of the longest-lived vertebrates...
, died at the age of 175 years in June 2006. - The deep-sea hydrocarbon seep tubeworm Lamellibrachia luymesiLamellibrachia luymesiLamellibrachia luymesi is a species of tube worms in the family Siboglinidae.It lives at deep-sea cold seeps where hydrocarbons are leaking out of the seafloor...
(Annelida, Polychaeta) lives for over 170 years. - TimothyTimothy (tortoise)Timothy was a Mediterranean Spur-thighed tortoise who was thought to be approximately 165 years old at the time of her death. This made her the UK's oldest known resident...
, a Greek TortoiseGreek TortoiseThe spur-thighed tortoise or Greek tortoise is one of four European members of the Testudinidae family of tortoises...
, died at an age of 160 years in April 2004. - GeoduckGeoduckThe geoduck , Panopea generosa, is a species of very large saltwater clam, a marine bivalve mollusk in the family Hiatellidae.The shell of this clam is large, about to over in length, but the very long siphons make the clam itself very much longer than this: the "neck" or siphons alone can be ...
, a species of saltwater clamClamThe word "clam" can be applied to freshwater mussels, and other freshwater bivalves, as well as marine bivalves.In the United States, "clam" can be used in several different ways: one, as a general term covering all bivalve molluscs...
native to the Puget SoundPuget SoundPuget Sound is a sound in the U.S. state of Washington. It is a complex estuarine system of interconnected marine waterways and basins, with one major and one minor connection to the Strait of Juan de Fuca and the Pacific Ocean — Admiralty Inlet being the major connection and...
, have been known to live over 160 years. - George the lobster was estimated to be approximately 140 years old by PETA in January 2009.
- Jeanne CalmentJeanne CalmentJeanne Louise Calment was a French supercentenarian who had the longest confirmed human life span in history, living to the age of . She lived in Arles, France, for her entire life, and outlived both her daughter and grandson. She became especially well known from the age of 113, when the...
was the oldest human to have verifiable birth records. She was 122 years old at time of death in 1997. - TardigradeTardigradeTardigrades form the phylum Tardigrada, part of the superphylum Ecdysozoa. They are microscopic, water-dwelling, segmented animals with eight legs. Tardigrades were first described by Johann August Ephraim Goeze in 1773...
s, capable of cryptobiosisCryptobiosisCryptobiosis is an ametabolic state of life entered by an organism in response to adverse environmental conditions such as desiccation, freezing, and oxygen deficiency. In the cryptobiotic state, all metabolic procedures stop, preventing reproduction, development, and repair...
, have been shown to survive nearly 120 years in a dry state. - The tuataraTuataraThe tuatara is a reptile endemic to New Zealand which, though it resembles most lizards, is actually part of a distinct lineage, order Sphenodontia. The two species of tuatara are the only surviving members of its order, which flourished around 200 million years ago. Their most recent common...
can live well above 100 years. Henry, a tuataraTuataraThe tuatara is a reptile endemic to New Zealand which, though it resembles most lizards, is actually part of a distinct lineage, order Sphenodontia. The two species of tuatara are the only surviving members of its order, which flourished around 200 million years ago. Their most recent common...
at the Southland Museum in New Zealand, mated for the first time at the age of 110 years in 2009 with an 80-year-old female and fathered 11 baby tuataras. - A female Blue-and-yellow MacawBlue-and-yellow MacawThe Blue-and-Yellow Macaw , also known as the Blue-and-Gold Macaw, is a member of the group of large Neotropical parrots known as macaws. It breeds in forest and woodland of tropical South America from Trinidad and Venezuela south to Peru, Brazil, Bolivia, and Paraguay...
named CharlieCharlie (parrot)Charlie , also known as Charlie the Curser, is a female Blue-and-yellow macaw living at Heathfield Nurseries, a pet sanctuary in Reigate, Surrey, United Kingdom...
was reportedly hatched in 1899, which would make her 111 years old, as of 2010. Her age has not been independently confirmed and the claim may not be reliable. She is claimed to have formerly belonged to Winston ChurchillWinston ChurchillSir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill, was a predominantly Conservative British politician and statesman known for his leadership of the United Kingdom during the Second World War. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest wartime leaders of the century and served as Prime Minister twice...
, but Churchill's daughter denies the claim. - An orca of the "Southern Resident Community" identified as J-2 or Granny is estimated to be the oldest orca in the entire community and is 99 years old, as of 2010.
- Lin WangLin WangLin Wang was a famous Asian elephant that served with the Chinese Expeditionary Force during the Second Sino-Japanese War and later relocated to Taiwan with the Kuomintang forces. Lin Wang lived out most of his life in the Taipei Zoo and unquestionably was the most popular and famous animal in...
was the oldest Asian elephantAsian ElephantThe Asian or Asiatic elephant is the only living species of the genus Elephas and distributed in Southeast Asia from India in the west to Borneo in the east. Three subspecies are recognized — Elephas maximus maximus from Sri Lanka, the Indian elephant or E. m. indicus from mainland Asia, and E. m....
and elephantElephantElephants are large land mammals in two extant genera of the family Elephantidae: Elephas and Loxodonta, with the third genus Mammuthus extinct...
in the Taipei ZooTaipei ZooThe Taipei Zoo , sometimes referred to as the "Muzha Zoo" , is a public zoological garden in Taipei City in Taiwan. It is the most famous zoological garden in Taiwan and a leader in conservation, research and education, and recreation...
. It was born in 1917 and died in February 2003 at age 86, surpassing the previous record of 84. Normal elephants lived up to 50, while its maximum lifespan is estimated at 70. - CookieCookie (cockatoo)Cookie is a male Major Mitchell's Cockatoo residing at Brookfield Zoo, near Chicago, Illinois, USA. He is believed to be the oldest member of his species alive in captivity, at the age of 78 in June 2011, having significantly exceeded the average lifespan for his kind and is one of the...
, a Major Mitchell's CockatooMajor Mitchell's CockatooThe Major Mitchell's Cockatoo also known as Leadbeater's Cockatoo or Pink Cockatoo, is a medium-sized cockatoo restricted to arid and semi-arid inland areas of Australia...
resident at Brookfield Zoo, Illinois, USA is the oldest member of his species in captivity, at a verified age of 78, as of 2011. - The oldest living horseHorseThe horse is one of two extant subspecies of Equus ferus, or the wild horse. It is a single-hooved mammal belonging to the taxonomic family Equidae. The horse has evolved over the past 45 to 55 million years from a small multi-toed creature into the large, single-toed animal of today...
on record was a miniature horseMiniature horseMiniature horses are found in many nations, particularly in Europe and the Americas. The designation of miniature horse is determined by the height of the animal, which, depending on the particular breed registry involved, is usually less than as measured at the last hairs of the mane, which are...
affected by dwarfism named Angel who lived with the Horse Protection Society of North CarolinaNorth CarolinaNorth Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
and lived to be over 50.
See also
- LongevityLongevityThe word "longevity" is sometimes used as a synonym for "life expectancy" in demography or known as "long life", especially when it concerns someone or something lasting longer than expected ....
- Maximum life spanMaximum life spanMaximum life span is a measure of the maximum amount of time one or more members of a population has been observed to survive between birth and death.Most living species have at least one upper limit on the number of times cells can divide...
- ImmortalityImmortalityImmortality is the ability to live forever. It is unknown whether human physical immortality is an achievable condition. Biological forms have inherent limitations which may or may not be able to be overcome through medical interventions or engineering...
and Biological immortalityBiological immortalityBiological immortality refers to a stable rate of mortality as a function of chronological age. Some individual cells and entire organisms in some species achieve this state either throughout their existence or after living long enough. This requires that death occur from injury or disease rather... - RegenerationRegeneration (biology)In biology, regeneration is the process of renewal, restoration, and growth that makes genomes, cells, organs, organisms, and ecosystems resilient to natural fluctuations or events that cause disturbance or damage. Every species is capable of regeneration, from bacteria to humans. At its most...
- Oldest peopleOldest peopleThis is a list of tables of the verified oldest people in the world in ordinal rank, such as oldest person or oldest man. In these tables, a supercentenarian is considered 'verified' if his or her claim has been validated by an international body that specifically deals in longevity research, such...
and List of oldest people - List of oldest trees
- List of oldest dogs