Living things / DAY 40 OF 40
A shark with centuries on its side.
Greenland shark ages are extraordinary. So are the error bars.
Here's the strange part.
A Greenland shark can make a century look like a modest milestone. Researchers used eye-lens radiocarbon analysis and body lengths to estimate ages, placing the oldest animal studied at 392 years, plus or minus 120. That range matters. The story is astonishing longevity with wide uncertainty, not a shark carrying a perfectly legible birth certificate. (Science / AAAS)
The oldest estimated age was 392 ± 120 years. That uncertainty is part of the finding, not fine print.
REALITY CHECK · TRUE OR FALSE?
Would the shark please show some ID?
The oldest shark's estimated age was exactly 392 years, with no uncertainty.
Go straight to the receipts.
Curious about the methods, dates or details? Open the original source and keep the caveat in view.
ORIGINAL SOURCEScience / AAASOpen publication ↗NEXT IN THE 40-DAY TRAIL / DAY 01Diamond rain. No umbrella required. ↗