Oldest Living Creature Discovered at 4,265 Years Old
Scientists gathering specimens in a submersible off the coast of Hawaii have discovered the oldest living colonial creature on Earth, dated at 4,265 years old.
The geriatric discovery (Leiopathes sp.) is a deep water tree-like coral, which grows only a few micrometers every year. That’s an annual growth rate at around the size of a human blood cell. And the Leiopathes sp. wasn’t the only old creature found. Also discovered was a 2,742 year old gold coral (Gerardia sp.).
The discovery raises needed awareness about the delicate, fragile ecosystems of deep sea reefs, which are endangered due to trawling and global warming.
- » See also: Oceans’ Ability to Absorb Carbon & Protect Against Climate Change Weakening
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The ancient age of the coral came at a surprise for the scientists, since previous methods based upon growth rings suggested ages at only around 70-100 years old. But radiocarbon dating of the coral’s skeleton confirmed the discovery, and raised questions about the accuracy of counting growth rings. Of course, that means there could be specimens even older than these still lurking somewhere.
Because they grow so slowly, these reefs can’t adapt to rapidly rising water temperatures and ocean acidification– when the ocean stores increased levels of carbon– like we’re seeing today. Jewelry harvesting and bottom trawling, a destructive commercial fishing practice, are also taking their toll on the languidly replenished reefs. Some estimates suggest that most coral reefs in the world could be gone by 2050.
It would be a shame if such creatures were able to live for thousands of years, only to meet their demise so suddenly due to human-caused effects within the next 40.
Image Credit: Nick Hobgood at Flickr under a Creative Commons License
Thanks for sharing this bit of hope for the synergistic systems that keep our planet alive, and the beauty of nature.
UMMMMM, how did they radio carbon dat it without either killing or damaging It?????
Are the coral ‘living species in what regards’ ??
They seem rather different from terrestrial plants and animals.
Regards
human caused effects– too many scientists doing survey research and dating.
Four thousand yrs is a water molecule in the swimming pool of geological time. This coral colonial species has survived one climate change far larger than anything that presently has Al Gore’s knickers in a knot.
That warming was only 1,000 yrs ago when Scotland was as warm as S. France. Yes glaciers vanished, the Arctic sea opened up, the permafrost melted releasing tonnes of methane & CO2, and polar bears did not go extinct.
Even THAT warming (very independent of human activity) did not bring the global climate UP to geological norms, which were closer to TEN degrees Celsius warmer than at present.
http://csccc.fcpp.org/files/f13.jpg
Perhaps this is the wrong venue for facts to be brought out, after all religion (which environmentalism now is)does not need fact.
“Human caused effects” are always being sought out by holier than thou, misanthropes masking as Green, Save-the-Planet activists and the “useful idiots” that believe them. [I tried an html link above rather than just presenting the URL, to see what happens.]
Consider what leading Environmentalists really think:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/744607/posts
And there, are a lot more than just that web page lists. I have watched this nonsense since 1970 when a new anthropogenic Ice Age was impending because of human industry. If you are under thirty, do your homework before you say another thing. If you are over thirty and haven’t figured it out, you are dishonest.