Great read. I hope after reading this information someone doesn’t get the great idea that maybe consuming some part of this shark will enhance their livability prospects. 😊
I’ve been obsessed with these sharks for a while and I use their hunting technique (what I know of it) as a metaphor for why it takes me so long to write anything 😅
So sad they go blind early from parasites that eat their eyes :-( but ever more stoic they live for hundreds of years blind :-) great article I love these animals glad you raised awareness of them
The static metabolic rate is intriguing; I'd have thought it was mostly due to their environment, not dependent upon genetics. I first heard about Greenland sharks fairly recently and, as always, it confirmed once again that we still don't know everything!
It was thought for a long time that their environment is what kept them alive for so long but there’s slightly more to it! They are the definition of an elusive species that’s for sure.
The dating was derived from the eyes of dead Greenland sharks (that were caught as bycatch) and then put into a model along with the length of the shark. The scientists could then estimate the age of any living sharks that they came across by inputting its length into the model. So they need the data from the sharks eyes but this is obviously hard to come by.
A fascinating read, thanks Amie. I sometimes wonder if living 400 years would improve (or make worse) the human relationship with nature and the environment. I wonder what effect longevity would have on our philosophical outlook. Would we temper our dangerous short-termism? Anyway, I'm rambling now. Thanks for a great post.
I do dream that in 400 years time we’ll all be dancing around on a planet that looks like the Garden of Eden but human nature suggests otherwise. An interesting thought though, thanks Jonathan!
Great read. I hope after reading this information someone doesn’t get the great idea that maybe consuming some part of this shark will enhance their livability prospects. 😊
They’re actually poisonous to humans unless treated, thankfully! That doesn’t stop the Icelandic though 😅
Interesting! This took me into a rabbit hole and now I know that the Greenland shark’s gestation period is between 8 to 18 years and like what!?
They aren’t doing anything in a hurry. It’s inspiring!
I’ve been obsessed with these sharks for a while and I use their hunting technique (what I know of it) as a metaphor for why it takes me so long to write anything 😅
This is fantastic. Thanks for sharing! I learned things that I don't even know I am gonna learn. That's the power of Substack!
So sad they go blind early from parasites that eat their eyes :-( but ever more stoic they live for hundreds of years blind :-) great article I love these animals glad you raised awareness of them
The static metabolic rate is intriguing; I'd have thought it was mostly due to their environment, not dependent upon genetics. I first heard about Greenland sharks fairly recently and, as always, it confirmed once again that we still don't know everything!
It was thought for a long time that their environment is what kept them alive for so long but there’s slightly more to it! They are the definition of an elusive species that’s for sure.
Wait was the dating made by examining eyes of Greenland sharks or was it just a mathematical model estimate?
The dating was derived from the eyes of dead Greenland sharks (that were caught as bycatch) and then put into a model along with the length of the shark. The scientists could then estimate the age of any living sharks that they came across by inputting its length into the model. So they need the data from the sharks eyes but this is obviously hard to come by.
Oh wow, I think this is such an important detail. My heart breaks of the deaths via bycatch but I am happy to hear that something good came out of it.
Exactly!
I hope you can add this very important detail in the essay. It's moving.
It's in there 😊
A fascinating read, thanks Amie. I sometimes wonder if living 400 years would improve (or make worse) the human relationship with nature and the environment. I wonder what effect longevity would have on our philosophical outlook. Would we temper our dangerous short-termism? Anyway, I'm rambling now. Thanks for a great post.
I do dream that in 400 years time we’ll all be dancing around on a planet that looks like the Garden of Eden but human nature suggests otherwise. An interesting thought though, thanks Jonathan!
I have to wonder why humans have yet to develop technology that will allow us to live as long as some fish or reptiles do.