Ming is the
nicknameA nickname is a descriptive name given in place of or in addition to the official name of a person, place or thing. It can also be the familiar or truncated form of the proper name, which may sometimes be used simply for convenience A nickname (also spelled "nick name") is a descriptive name...
given to a specimen of an ocean quahog clam,
Arctica islandicaArctica islandica, commonly known as the ocean quahog, is an edible marine bivalve mollusk native to the North Atlantic ocean, which is exploited commercially...
, family
VeneridaeThe Veneridae or venerids, also known as venus clams, are a very large family of minute to large, saltwater clams, marine bivalve molluscs. There are over 500 living species of venerid bivalves, most of which are edible, and many of which are exploited as a food source.Many of the most important...
, and is the oldest living animal ever discovered.
Judging by the annual growth rings on the clam's shell, Ming was believed to be in the region of 405-410 years old when the clam was caught off the coast of
IcelandThe Republic of Iceland is a European island country located in the North Atlantic Ocean. It has a population of about 320,000 and a total area of 103,000 km². Its capital and largest city is Reykjavík, whose surrounding area is home to approximately two thirds of the national population...
in October 2007. The claim was made by researchers at
Bangor UniversityBangor University is a university based in the city of Bangor in the county of Gwynedd in north Wales.The University occupies a substantial proportion of the city and also has some departments in Wrexham...
, including Alan Wanamaker. The researchers are uncertain how long the clam, which died during the assessment process, might have lived had it been left on the ocean floor.
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Ming is the
nicknameA nickname is a descriptive name given in place of or in addition to the official name of a person, place or thing. It can also be the familiar or truncated form of the proper name, which may sometimes be used simply for convenience A nickname (also spelled "nick name") is a descriptive name...
given to a specimen of an ocean quahog clam,
Arctica islandicaArctica islandica, commonly known as the ocean quahog, is an edible marine bivalve mollusk native to the North Atlantic ocean, which is exploited commercially...
, family
VeneridaeThe Veneridae or venerids, also known as venus clams, are a very large family of minute to large, saltwater clams, marine bivalve molluscs. There are over 500 living species of venerid bivalves, most of which are edible, and many of which are exploited as a food source.Many of the most important...
, and is the oldest living animal ever discovered.
Judging by the annual growth rings on the clam's shell, Ming was believed to be in the region of 405-410 years old when the clam was caught off the coast of
IcelandThe Republic of Iceland is a European island country located in the North Atlantic Ocean. It has a population of about 320,000 and a total area of 103,000 km². Its capital and largest city is Reykjavík, whose surrounding area is home to approximately two thirds of the national population...
in October 2007. The claim was made by researchers at
Bangor UniversityBangor University is a university based in the city of Bangor in the county of Gwynedd in north Wales.The University occupies a substantial proportion of the city and also has some departments in Wrexham...
, including Alan Wanamaker. The researchers are uncertain how long the clam, which died during the assessment process, might have lived had it been left on the ocean floor. The clam was named after the
Ming DynastyThe Ming Dynasty , or Empire of the Great Ming , was the ruling dynasty of China from 1368 to 1644, following the collapse of the Mongol-led Yuan Dynasty. The Ming, "one of the greatest eras of orderly government and social stability in human history," was the last dynasty in China ruled by ethnic...
due to its age.
Scientists are hoping the discovery of Ming will help aid in researching the aging process, and how some animals 'escape' old age.