Ming: The 507-Year-Old Ocean Quahog, Earth's Oldest Non-Colonial Animal
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507-Year-Old Clam 'Ming' Crowned Oldest Non-Colonial Animal Ever Recorded
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Moneycontrol•02-03-2026, 18:07
507-Year-Old Clam 'Ming' Crowned Oldest Non-Colonial Animal Ever Recorded
•An ocean quahog named "Ming" survived for over five centuries in the North Atlantic, making it the oldest documented non-colonial animal.
•Discovered in 2006, Ming was approximately 507 years old when researchers analyzed its shell by counting growth rings.
•Ocean quahogs like Ming live buried in seabed sediment, filtering food, a slow lifestyle contributing to their extreme longevity.
•Ming's species, Arctica islandica, has a slow metabolism and strong DNA repair mechanisms, reducing cellular damage over time.
•Studying these long-lived organisms provides insights into aging processes, cellular repair, and resistance to environmental stress, potentially aiding aging research in other animals.