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.

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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

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