In a study of the eyes of the rare bowhead whale, scientists discovered that some individuals have lifespans that far exceed those of many human generations. At least one male has lived for up to 200 years.
A bowhead whale surfacing in the Canadian sea.
(Photo: National Geographic)
“About 5% of this whale population lives beyond a century, with some cases reaching ages of 160-180 years,” said Jeffrey Bada, a marine chemist at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography in La Jolla, California, USA.
“They are truly ancient animals, perhaps the oldest group of animals on Earth,” he continued.
The bowhead whale, also known as the Greenland whale, is a species characterized by its baleen plates (instead of teeth), which they use to filter food from seawater. They inhabit the Arctic region and can grow up to 18 meters long and weigh over 100 tons.
T. An
