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.