Science
Related: About this forumWorld's oldest animal was 507…then we killed it
By Claire Duffin
When scientists inadvertently killed what turned out to be the worlds oldest living creature, it was bad enough.
Now, their mistake has been compounded after further research found it was even older at 507 years.
The ocean quahog - a type of deep-sea clam - was dredged alive from the bottom of the North Atlantic near Iceland in 2006 by researchers. They then put it in a freezer, as is normal practice, unaware of its age.
It was only when it was taken to a laboratory that scientists from Bangor University studied it and concluded it was 400 years old.
The discovery made it into the Guinness Book of World Records however by this time, it was too late for Ming the Mollusc named after the Chinese dynasty on the throne when its life began.
Now, after examining the ocean quahog more closely, using more refined methods, the researchers have found the animal was actually 100 years older than they first thought.
more
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/science-news/10447117/Worlds-oldest-creature-was-507...but-scientists-killed-it.html
nilram
(2,888 posts)Botany
(70,504 posts)Spitfire of ATJ
(32,723 posts)usafvet65
(46 posts)has no qualms letting people go without healthcare and die. Young kids on food stamps go hungry. Veterans living on the streets. And do what ever they can to help the rich get richer. One shellfish not even a blip on their radar.
Warpy
(111,255 posts)They're the ultimate trash fish, IMO, edible only if you grind the clam very finely, mix it with stuffing and put it back in the shell and bake it.
Funniest thing I ever saw was a dinner party where the hostess tried to make clam chowder with them because they're cheap. It was like chewing old inner tubes.
Maybe now there will be some guidelines about throwing the really big guys back into the water. Who knows how long this old fellow might have lived?