The Greenland Shark - World's Oldest Shark | 500+ Years Old Legendary Shark | Dr. Binocs Show

Peekaboo Kidz

23 Feb 202406:16

Summary

TLDRThe script discusses the Greenland shark, the longest living vertebrate with a lifespan of 400 years. These sharks reveal their age not through rings on their vertebrae but through eye lens tissue samples. Reaching sexual maturity at 150 years, they grow slowly and have a sluggish metabolism. Despite moving slowly, Greenland sharks are potential apex predators, using circular motions to tear flesh from prey with their unique teeth. Facing vision issues from parasites and human hunting, urgent conservation is needed for these mysterious giants reaching 7,200 ft in extremely cold Arctic waters.

Takeaways

😲 The Greenland shark is the world's longest living vertebrate, with a lifespan of 400 years
🐢 These sharks grow very slowly, not reaching maturity until around 150 years old
🚤 Their bodies have antifreeze-like substances, allowing them to live in frigid Arctic waters
😴 They move very slowly, earning the name 'sleepy small head'
🦷 Unique teeth allow them to rip chunks of flesh off large prey
🥩 Their diet includes fish, squid, polar bears, horses and reindeer
🦠 A parasite attaches to their sides, damaging their vision
🌊 They can dive to depths of over 7,000 feet in pitch blackness
😷 Their flesh is toxic if consumed by humans
⏳ The oldest Greenland shark found was estimated to be about 390 years old

Q & A

How old is the oldest Greenland shark found?
-The oldest Greenland shark was estimated to be 392 years old plus or minus about 20 years.
Why is the Greenland shark difficult to determine the age of?
-Most sharks show their age through rings on their vertebrae, but Greenland sharks lack these rings. Instead, scientists determine their age by peeling layers of the lens in their eyes and through radiocarbon dating of lens tissues.
At what age do Greenland sharks reach sexual maturity?
-Greenland sharks don't reach the baby making stage until they are around 150 years old.
Why is it difficult to determine the growth rate of Greenland sharks?
-Figuring out how fast Greenland sharks grow is difficult since they are not often caught. One tagged shark grew only 2.3 inches over 16 years.
What enables Greenland sharks to live so long?
-Researchers know very little about the Greenland shark's metabolism so it's unclear what enables their longevity.
How does the parasite Oomacta elongata affect Greenland sharks?
-The parasite typically latches onto the shark's side, damaging the cornea and leaving scar tissue and infection, thereby affecting their vision.
How do Greenland sharks hunt without good vision?
-Despite blindness, Greenland sharks depend on their other sharp senses adapted for the cold and dark ocean depths they inhabit.
Why is Greenland shark flesh toxic to humans?
-While the reason is uncertain, consuming Greenland shark flesh can cause symptoms ranging from diarrhea to convulsions.
Why are urgent conservation efforts needed for Greenland sharks?
-Humans have been hunting Greenland sharks for their liver oil, putting them on the verge of extinction.
What was the misconception about the oldest Greenland shark?
-The oldest shark was estimated to be 392 years old, but there was a widely held but debunked claim that the oldest shark was 512 years old.

Outlines

00:00

🦈 All About the Mysterious Greenland Shark, the Oldest Living Vertebrate

This paragraph provides an overview of the Greenland shark, which holds the record for being the longest living vertebrate at 400 years. It describes the shark's physical features like small eyes, rounded snout, lack of anal fin, dark coloration, and massive size up to 23 ft and 1.5 tons. It also covers details about the shark's habitat in the Arctic Ocean, its sluggish speed and predatory strategy of holding prey with upper teeth and tearing flesh with lower teeth.

05:02

😢 Threats Facing the Greenland Shark and Need for Conservation

This paragraph discusses problems confronting the Greenland shark, including a parasite called Ommatokoita elongata that damages its eyes and impairs vision. It also mentions the threat of human hunting for the shark's toxic flesh, which is driving the species toward extinction. The paragraph concludes by emphasizing the urgent need for conservation efforts to safeguard these ancient giants of the Arctic depths.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Greenland shark

The Greenland shark is the main subject of the video. It is a large, slow-moving shark that lives in the frigid waters of the Arctic Ocean. The video explores how Greenland sharks can live for 400 years, making them the longest living vertebrate on Earth, and examines their unique adaptations like antifreeze-like blood and toxin resistance.

💡lifespan

The extremely long lifespan of 400 years for the Greenland shark is a key focus of the video. This makes them twice as old as the next oldest vertebrate. Understanding how and why they live so long despite challenges like parasites, cold, and blindness is a mystery scientists are trying to uncover.

💡Arctic Ocean

The habitat of the Greenland shark is the frigid Arctic Ocean. They live in the cold, dark depths as far down as 7,200 feet. Their bodies uniquely adapt to these harsh conditions with antifreeze-like substances in their blood and tissue.

💡vertebrae

Vertebrae refer to the small bones that make up the spine of vertebrates like sharks. Most shark species show their age through rings on their vertebrae but Greenland sharks lack these, making determining their age difficult.

💡metabolism

The video notes that little is known about the metabolism or internal processes of Greenland sharks. Understanding their metabolic rate and processes could provide insight into why they live so long.

💡parasite

Greenland sharks suffer from parasites like the Ommatokoita elongata that attach to their eyes, damaging tissue and affecting vision. This is one challenge they have adapted to overcome in the dark ocean depths.

💡conservation

The video concludes by noting Greenland sharks face threats from human hunting and are on the verge of extinction. Urgent conservation efforts are needed to protect these ancient giants of the Arctic.

💡scavengers

Instead of always hunting live prey, Greenland sharks often scavenge or eat animals that are already dead. Their diverse menu as scavengers includes fish, horses, reindeer, and even polar bears.

💡adaptations

The video examines many unique adaptations the Greenland shark has evolved to survive for centuries in freezing Arctic waters, including antifreeze-like blood, toxin resistance, and heightened non-visual senses.

💡mystery

How Greenland sharks live for 400 years and thrive in hostile environments is largely still a mystery to scientists working to unlock their longevity secrets. Many aspects of their basic biology like reproduction and metabolism remain unknown.

Highlights

The Greenland shark is the world's longest living vertebrate with a lifespan of 400 years.

Greenland sharks don't show their age through vertebrae rings like most sharks and instead scientists use eye lens radiocarbon dating.

Greenland sharks don't reproduce until around 150 years old.

Greenland sharks grow very slowly, as evidenced by a tagged shark that only grew 2.3 inches over 16 years.

Greenland sharks move slowly, earning the name "sleepy small head", at a speed of only 1.12 feet per second.

Greenland sharks use a unique feeding strategy of holding prey with upper teeth while tearing with lower teeth.

Greenland sharks face vision problems from parasites but adapt using their other senses in the dark depths.

Greenland sharks have antifreeze-like substances allowing them to live in frigid -2°C to 7°C water.

Eating Greenland shark meat can cause diarrhea, convulsions and other symptoms due to toxicity.

Greenland sharks are on the verge of extinction due to human liver oil hunting.

The oldest Greenland shark was estimated to be 392 years old.

There was a past misconception that the oldest shark was 512 years old.

Greenland sharks employ a unique feeding strategy to consume large prey.

Greenland sharks face threats from parasites that damage their vision.

Greenland sharks have adaptations allowing them to thrive in freezing Arctic waters.