The oldest living being on earth. Researchers have found the oldest animal. Sea sponge the size of a minivan
This woman is the oldest inhabitant of our planet: the Frenchwoman Jeanne Calment was born on 02/21/1875 and died on 08/04/1997, having lived 122 years 164 days. During her life, two World Wars took place, the first man flew into space, the Internet was invented, but for some representatives of the fauna this age is only half, or even a third of life. Do you want to know for which long-lived animals?
1. 122 years - Bowhead whale 
The length of the bowhead whale can reach 20 meters, and the weight, second only to the weight of the blue whale, varies between 75-100 tons. The habitat of the mammal is exclusively arctic and subarctic waters, unlike other species of whales migrating to other places. Unfortunately, this type of whale is classified as "endangered".
2. 125 years - sturgeon 
Sturgeons (family Acipenseridae) are one of the oldest families of bony fish. Habitat - subtropical, temperate and subarctic zones: off the coast of North America and Eurasia, in lakes and rivers. Usually, the sturgeon grows up to 2-3 meters in length, occasionally - up to 5.5 meters. In April of this year, a 125-year-old specimen weighing 108 kg and 2.2 meters long was caught by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, which was tagged and then released. (Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources)
3. 149 years old - Atlantic bighead 
Atlantic bigheads live at a depth of 180-1800 meters in the waters of the eastern Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, in the western Pacific Ocean, and also off the coast of Chile. The bright red color of the fish after death is replaced by a yellowish or orange tint. The oldest representative of this species lived to be 149 years old.
4. 168 years - Guidac 
Guidac is a very large edible mollusk belonging to the Hiatellidae family. The habitat is the western coast of North America (mainly the state of Washington and British Columbia). Not very popular until the 1970s, recently shellfish have been in demand in Asian markets, which is why their value has risen sharply. The oldest individual guidaka was 168 years old. (Seattle P.I.)
5. 170 years - Lamellibrachia luymesi 
The habitat of this species of tube worms belonging to the Siboglinidae family is the deep water of the northern part of the Gulf of Mexico (500-800 m). The worm, growing rather slowly, can reach a length of 3 meters. (Charles Fisher)
6. 200 years - Red sea urchin 
Although this type of hedgehog is called "red", their color ranges from orange and pink to almost black. It lives in shallow water (maximum 90 m) near rocky coasts in the waters of the Pacific Ocean (from Alaska to Baja California). Sharp needles, reaching a length of up to 8 cm, completely cover the round body of the hedgehog. (Kirt L. Onthank)
7. 210-250 years old - European pearl 
Belongs to a rare species of freshwater pearl mussels (Margaritiferidae family), producing pearls of excellent quality, which are mined by man. Recently, the Russian scientist Valery Zyuganov made a discovery: this type of mollusk does not show signs of aging, and their maximum life span reaches 210-250 years. (Joel Berglund)
8. 226 years - Koi Hanako 
The koi carp is a species of beautiful domesticated carp that is bred to be kept in garden ponds for ornamental purposes. Koi varieties vary in size, pattern, and scale color. The most common colors are black, white, yellow, cream, blue and yellow. Age is determined in the same way as in trees: by the number of rings located on the scales of most fish. Thanks to this method, the age of the oldest koi carp, Hanako, was determined, who died at the age of 226 years. (Stan Shebs)
9. 256 years - Giant tortoise 
One of the oldest animals on the planet is a 250-kilogram male giant tortoise named Advaita (translated from Sanskrit as "one and only"), who lived in the Calcutta Zoo (India). As evidenced by historical data, Advaita was the pet of Robert Clive, a British general from the East India Company, having lived on the territory of his mansion for several years. Approximately 130 years ago, Advaita was transferred to the Calcutta Zoo, and died in 2006.
10. 507 years old - Arctica islandica bivalve mollusc 
This species of bivalve molluscs, belonging to the Arcticidae family, lives in the waters of the North Atlantic Ocean at a depth of 7-400 meters. Collect shellfish for food. Two individuals of bivalves lived to 375 and 507 years. (Manfred Heyde)
Many people believe that dinosaurs are the most ancient inhabitants of the planet. However, besides them, millions of years ago, other animals lived on Earth. Most of the surviving prehistoric creatures had an incredible ability to adapt to a rapidly changing environment and survived in their original form.
The article will talk about the most ancient representatives of the fauna who were able to survive the dinosaurs and learned to get along with new types of creatures.
Martialis heureka is the most ancient species of arthropod insects, which appeared 100 million years ago. The name of the ants is translated as "a find on Mars", which is due to their unusual pale yellow color. The living Martialis heureka have no eyes, as they live underground and do not need sight. With strong jaws, ants catch other small insects and grind particles of plant roots.
Sponges appeared on the planet presumably 580 million years ago. They are primitive organisms that look more like plants than animals. Sponges have no internal organs, and tissue cells are of the same type. The main habitat of the creatures has become fresh and sea water with a low salt content. In total, scientists have discovered 8 thousand varieties of sponges on Earth.
Turritopsis Nutricula or immortal jellyfish is one of the oldest invertebrate multicellular creatures on the planet, whose age is estimated at 550 million years. This species has been studied by biologists from all over the world for a long time, and they managed to establish that the life cycle of the animal is continuous. When Turritopsis Nutricula reaches maturity, it sinks to the bottom and turns into a polyp. After that, kidneys form on it, from which new jellyfish appear.
The oldest reptiles, whose ancestors appeared simultaneously with the dinosaurs. Tuataria differ from other lizards in their long life cycle. On average, an individual lives up to 90-100 years. Scientists have recorded a long-lived tuatara. It existed in the wild for over 160 years. Lizards of this species are listed in the Red Book and are protected by the environmental organization. Their range is New Zealand.
The oldest extinct species of huge crocodiles. His diet included small dinosaurs, large fish and animals that inhabited reservoirs. Sarcosuchus lived in the rivers of Africa at the end of the Mesozoic era. They were first heard about in 1966. Then the skeleton of an unknown giant crocodile was found by an American paleontologist. In the late 2000s, Paul Sereno, a lecturer at the University of Chicago, dug up 6 more well-preserved sarcosuchus skeletons that helped scientists learn more about these creatures.
Interesting!
On average, the length of the Sarcosuchus skeleton reaches 12 meters, and the weight of the extinct animal is over 7 tons. The jaw of a crocodile includes 66 sharp teeth. It was so powerful that it could easily bite through the spine of a stegosaurus.
Gram-negative bacteria with the ability to photosynthesize and release oxygen are considered the most ancient microorganisms on the planet. Their stromatolites, found at the bottom of dried-up reservoirs, are over 3.5 billion years old. Scientists classify cyanobacteria as eukaryotic algae, and algologists and bacteriologists are studying them.
Horseshoe crab (horsetail crab)
Researchers believe that horseshoe crabs or horseshoe crabs appeared on the planet before dinosaurs. Their age is estimated at 450 million years. Outwardly, these creatures look like a stingray covered with a dense shell. The maximum size of a horseshoe crab is 65 centimeters. Their tail is incredibly sharp and is not only a means of defense against enemies, but also a device for maneuvering when looking for food.
Interesting!
These creatures are not poisonous and not dangerous to humans, but if they are angry, they can leave painful and deep cuts on the body.
Latimeria is a beautiful and ancient fish with an archaic body structure. It appeared on Earth about 400 million years ago. Scientists call it a unique representative of creatures that in prehistoric times tried to get out of the water and sought to conquer the land. The fins of the coelacanth are underdeveloped paws. With them, the fish, most likely, could move on the ground. It is believed that if the creature continued to evolve, it would turn into a lizard.
Shchitni are the ancestors of modern crustaceans inhabiting fresh water bodies. They appeared about 160 million years ago in the rivers and lakes of Panagea, when all the continents were united. A feature of the shields is that they easily adapt to changing living conditions, and their eggs are stored in wet sand for 1-2 years. These unusual creatures are characterized by omnivorousness and cannibalism. In times of famine, shields are able to eat their own kind, in particular young and old sick individuals.
The most ancient and rare species of spiders inhabiting the forests of South Africa, the island of Madagascar and Tanzania. For the first time, goldworms as a separate species of spiders were discussed in 2000. Then a scientist from Europe became interested in unusual specimens in the Australian Museum. Upon a detailed study of the dried spider, it became clear that it does not resemble any known species. Scientists discovered a living golden moth only in 2007 in the Tembe Elephant National Park.
Hungarian river lamprey
A freshwater jawless creature from the genus of toothed lampreys. The remains of her ancestors were found by scientists from the UK in 1997 and date back to 360 million years old. The ancient specimen of the lamprey is characterized by the presence of a shell, the absence of a jaw, and organs resembling suckers. Presumably, the creature fed on the blood of large fish or animals like leeches.
Platypuses are one of the ancient mammals that inhabit the Earth. In Australia, paleontologists have found the remains of representatives of these animals, whose age is estimated at 55-70 million years. They had strong jaws, which easily bit the shells of turtles. The length of the ancient platypus reached 1.5 meters, which made it possible to rank it among the largest waterfowl creatures of the Mesozoic era.
Cockroaches are considered one of the oldest species of arthropod insects on the planet that can exist in any environmental conditions. The remains of their ancestors were discovered by paleontologists in the sediments of the dung of large animals from the Paleozoic era. For 300 million years, the structure of the body of cockroaches has not changed much. The changes affected only the ovipositor. In modern insect species, it is shorter. 
Neopilins are the most ancient genus of marine deep-sea mollusks belonging to the monoplacophora class. They live mainly in the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans. Creatures are considered detritivores - animals that feed on organic decayed material. The first modern representatives of neopilin were discovered in 1957 at a depth of 6500 meters. The remains of ancient mollusks are over 90 million years old.
Sturgeons
The sturgeon family includes such popular species of commercial fish as beluga, spike, stellate sturgeon, sturgeon and sterlet. They are distributed in the Northern Hemisphere. The most ancient representatives of sturgeons inhabited the planet about 85 million years ago. They lived near the shores of Central Asia and North America. In total, scientists distinguish 25 species of sturgeon, of which 4 varieties are considered modern and 3 are fossils.
Australian echidnas are the oldest vertebrates. Their closest relative is considered Tasmanian (species Tachyglossus setosus). The first representatives of the Australian echidnas inhabited the planet presumably 100 million years ago. Today, this species of terrestrial creatures, laying eggs, able to swim and hunt fish, is not numerous and is listed in the Red Book as endangered. Its range is Australia, New Guinea, Tasmania.
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Earth is an amazing planet. It has an innumerable variety of life forms, both relatively recent and very ancient. Here is a list of the oldest living things on Earth that will definitely make you feel young.
10. Martialis heureka
Age: 100-120 million years
This rare Amazonian animal has been dubbed the "ant from Mars" because it looks and behaves completely differently than any other ant species. This is one of the oldest animals on Earth, according to various estimates, it appeared from 100 to 120 million years ago.
Martialis heureka live in the soil and do not have eyes, but nature has awarded them with numerous hair-like protrusions on the body. They help these strange ants sense vibrations and pressure changes in the surrounding soil.
9 Frilled Shark
Age: 150 million years
One of the oldest living members of the shark family. In 2007, a frilled shark was caught near Tokyo, which is very strange, because usually these predators live at a depth of 600-1000 meters. Scientists have suggested that the female was sick, and therefore rose to the surface. The caught shark, despite caring care, lived only 2 days.
Special chemical and physiological adaptations allow the frilled shark, more like a snake or an eel, to survive at depths where there is no access not only to humans, but also to many marine life.
8. Shields
Age - 200 million years
Perhaps one of the distant great-great-great (and many, many more "great-great") great-grandfathers of these freshwater crustaceans saw a living dinosaur with his own eyes. Or the only continent at that time - Pangea.
The shield is a very small animal, 2 to 4 millimeters long, which is able to survive even in the harshest geological conditions. Shield eggs can lie dormant for several years until the right conditions for hatching occur. And even the cannibalism inherent in shields could not destroy this species.
7. Sturgeons
Age - 200 million years
These largest freshwater fish are found in North America and Eurasia and are one of the oldest animal species belonging to the bony fish class.
However, due to the production of expensive black caviar, which has an exquisite taste, sturgeon fish are under the threat of destruction. For 15 years, the number of sturgeon fish in the Caspian Sea alone has decreased by 38.5 times
6. Latimeria
Age - 360-400 million years
This ancient fish is one of the rarest and endangered fish in the world. For a very long time it was believed that the coelacanth is an extinct species, but in recent years these fish have been discovered in the Indian Ocean.
Giant coelacanths grow up to 190 cm in length and live at a depth of about 100 meters. They have electrosensory organs that help detect the presence of prey, and the structure of the lobe fins is unique and not found in any modern fish.
5. Horseshoe crab
Age - 230-450 million years
This strange crab, looking more like a facehugger from Aliens upside down, was a contemporary of the most ancient dinosaurs. Despite its name, horseshoe crab (aka horseshoe crab) does not refer to crabs, but to arachnids. Its closest relatives were trilobites.
The body of the horseshoe crab reaches 60 cm in length and consists of two sections: the cephalothorax and the abdomen. Both parts from the back are protected by a powerful shell, greenish-gray in color. Excellent camouflage against the background of silt. And on the tail needle there are prickly protrusions that help the horseshoe crab balance in the water with a strong current. The tail is also needed for “plowing” the seabed in search of food and as a lever if the horseshoe crab suddenly rolls over. Alas, it doesn't always work.
This amazing creature swims funny - belly up, using its own shell as a boat.
4. Nautilus
Age - 235-500 million years
One of the last representatives of a very old group of molluscs. According to various estimates, this cephalopod appeared on Earth from 500 to 235 million years ago and is older than many dinosaur species. Thus, the nautilus is rightfully called a living fossil.
Its beautiful spiral shell would surely arouse the envy of modern cephalopods, deprived of such luxurious shelter. Luckily, they don't have that feeling.
About 90 small tentacles, arranged in a crown around the mouth, help the nautilus catch prey and repel attacks from enemies.
3. Medusa
Age - 505-550 million years
It is the most primitive aquatic animal (after the second number of the most ancient animals on Earth). A jellyfish never gets a headache, because it has neither a brain nor a nervous system, but there are primitive digestive and sensory organs.
90% of a jellyfish's body is water, giving it a clear, jelly-like appearance. But don't be fooled by its seeming harmlessness. Many types of jellyfish are poisonous. And the most dangerous of them is the box jellyfish. Its venom can kill an adult human and many large animals almost as quickly as . Moreover, the victim dies in the interval from 2 to 15 minutes from severe pain shock or cardiac arrest. The box jellyfish is also known as one of the most transparent animals on planet Earth.
2. Sponges
Age - 580 million years
Who lives at the bottom of the ocean? These sponges are one of the most primitive animals that look like plants.
They are nothing more than an aggregation of cells and have no internal organs or body parts. Sponges live in sea and fresh water. One of the most famous types of sponges are corals. There are about 8 thousand species of sponges in the world. So Sponge Bob, a famous cartoon character, has a huge number of living relatives, with a very ancient pedigree.
1. Cyanobacteria
Age: 3.5 billion years
You've never seen this tiny bacterium, but it's the one that tops the top 10 longest living organisms on Earth. And it is she who is one of the reasons why life on our planet became possible. Cyanobacterium or blue-green algae is probably the first living organism that appeared on Earth. It is a photosynthetic microorganism that lives in large colonies and releases oxygen as a by-product of photosynthesis. Thanks to their activities, according to scientists, an "oxygen catastrophe" began - a change in the composition of the earth's atmosphere. This process began about 2.4 billion years ago and caused the restructuring of the biosphere and the global Huron glaciation.
Today, cyanobacteria are one of the main sources of oxygen in the world. And thus support the existence of all other oxygen-respiratory life forms.
The most ancient animals in the world that are still preserved, while most of their counterparts are long extinct, are called living fossils. Studying these animals gives scientists more information about evolution and successful survival strategies used in the animal kingdom.
In Iceland, a bivalve mollusk of the species Arctica islandica, which was considered the oldest animal on the planet: according to the rings on the inside of the shell, experts determined that Ming (the mollusk was named after the dynasty of Chinese emperors who ruled from 1368 to 1644) was born 405 years ago. Recently, scientists admitted that they made a mistake when calculating the age of a long-lived mollusk - in fact, Ming is 102 years older.
Experts explain the miscalculation by the fact that some annual rings are too thin, and it was not possible to see them right away. Radiocarbon analysis confirms the new data: Ming lived for more than five centuries, which was not least facilitated by the very slow metabolism of the animal.
Unfortunately, the mollusk died in 2006, not having lived to find out its real age for several years, but the study of its shell continues: by examining the thickness of the annual rings, scientists hope to determine the temperature fluctuations of the World Ocean over the past five centuries. In addition, experts are studying other representatives of the Arctica islandica species in order to find similar centenarians among them.
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Contemporaries of Caesar or Raphael? They live somewhere on the planet. Yes, and contemporaries of dinosaurs, perhaps, can be found. Long-lived record holders bear little resemblance to us, but people hope that one day science will learn from these animals to prolong their active existence. Homo sapiens
Immortality
JELLYFISH
Turritopsis dohrnii
Type - stingers
Class - hydroid
Detachment - Anthoathecata
Family - Oceaniidae
View - Turritopsis dohrnii
Lifespan - theoretically unlimited
medusa Turritopsis dohrnii often referred to as immortal. More precisely, she is able to live forever. This is how common jellyfish breed. The initial stage of development of an organism from fertilized cells is a polyp (like those that form coral reefs). At a certain stage, the polyp gives birth to a jellyfish. And that, reaching puberty, participates in reproduction and dies. A mature jellyfish cannot return to the polyp stage. But just not Turritopsis dohrnii- when unfavorable conditions occur, it attaches to some surface, and its cells transform, as if returning to the "infant" stage. Then the polyp again gives birth to a jellyfish ... And it seems that there is no place for death in the chain of these metamorphoses.
Up to 250 Ma
SPORE
Bacillus permians
Domain - bacteria
View - Bacillus permians
Lifespan - possibly up to 250 million years
Theoretical immortality is one thing, the observed life of 250 million years is another! In 2000, a paper was published stating that American researchers managed to awaken bacilli from hibernation. Bacillus permians found in salt deposits (New Mexico). All this quarter of a billion years, bacilli have existed in the form of spores, within which metabolic processes have practically stopped. If this incredible discovery receives further confirmation, we will know for sure that bacteria have no competitors in terms of longevity.
10,000 years
BACTERIUM
Bacterium
Domain - bacteria
Mode of existence - chemotrophic bacteria
Lifespan - 10,000 years
Even without producing spores, bacteria can live an astonishingly long time. Microorganisms that live under the ocean floor at a depth of 700 m can withstand tremendous pressure and high temperatures (about 100 degrees), and besides, they live for at least 10,000 years - from division to division. Super-centenarians found in soil samples obtained during drilling of the seabed from a scientific vessel JOIDES. Presumably, this ancient life has existed for about 100 million years - this is the age of the sediments from which the samples were taken.
Over 5000 years
PINE
Pinus longaeva
Class - coniferous
Family - pine
Genus - pine
View - awned pine intermountain
Life span - more than 5000 years
Speaking about the longevity of trees, we most often recall oaks and baobabs, but conifers are among the champions here. The age of the Old Tyikko spruce growing on Mount Fulu in Sweden is estimated at 9560 years! True, its current trunk is much younger, and for these thousands of years the ancient root system lived, from which, after the death of one trunk, a genetically identical new one grew. It is also possible that spruce was propagated by layering, when a branch that leaned towards the ground took root and gave life to a new plant. In general, Old Tyikko is a clonal tree, and groves of clonal trees connected to each other by roots can exist for tens of thousands of years.
The main contender for the individual record also comes from conifers. This is a pine aristocratic intermountain (Pinus longaeva) growing high in the mountains of North America. Age - 5666 years. Plant seeds can live even longer! Russian scientists have germinated the seeds of the angustifolia (Silene stenophylla), which have lain under a layer of permafrost for 32,000 years.
2300 years
SPONGE
Xestospongia muta
Detachment - Haplosclerida
Family - Petrosiidae
Genus - Xestospongia
View - Xestospongia muta
Lifespan - 2300 years
Somewhere in the ocean you can find creatures born 300 years before Christ. The body of a sponge consists of two layers of integumentary cells and a jelly-like mesohyl located between them, which filters the water in search of something nutritious. When there are no nerves, life becomes so simple that you can live up to 2300 years, like, for example, a sponge Xestospongia muta, it is also called a giant barrel sponge. However, there are many centenarians among aquatic invertebrates. famous clam Arctica Islandica who lived 507 years.
up to 500 years
SHARK
somniosus microcephalus
Class - cartilaginous fish
Detachment - katranobraznye
Family - somniose sharks
Genus - polar sharks
Species - Greenland polar shark
Life expectancy - up to 500 years
Outside the world of bacteria, plants, and coelenterates, the numbers are much more modest. "Only" until the half-millennium anniversary, perhaps, the Greenland polar shark is able to survive - a large, slow-moving one that lives in the cold Arctic waters of the Atlantic. There, in the cold and darkness, where there is nowhere to hurry and no one to be afraid of, the fish developed a slow metabolism, which, apparently, became the main reason for longevity. Yes, and multiplying quickly is useless - the nutritional base of a formidable predator is not so limitless. Therefore, few cubs are born, and the female shark reaches sexual maturity only by the age of 150.
up to 250 years
TURTLE
Megalochelys gigantea
Squad - turtles
Family - land turtles
Genus - giant tortoises
View - giant tortoise
Life expectancy - up to 250 years
Giant Seychelles tortoises can live to a very advanced age Megalochelys gigantea, and they are record holders among reptiles. It seems that nature gave turtles biological mechanisms that prevent shortening of telomeres - the ends of DNA strands - after the next cell division. There is another reason why it is easier for a turtle to save itself for life through the ages. Being a cold-blooded animal, it does not spend the resources of the body to maintain the desired body temperature. This reduces the load on the cardiovascular system and prevents its wear.
Over 200 years
WHALE
Balaena mysticetus
Kingdom - animals
Type - chordates
Class - mammals
Order - cetaceans
Family - smooth whales
View - bowhead whale
Life expectancy - more than 200 years
Of the mammals, the bowhead whale, which can live a couple of centuries or more, is “taken off” for everyone. To date, only one case is known when an animal of this species died a natural death, and did not, for example, become a victim of a person. The whale has practically no natural enemies. But how does he manage to fight old age? As biologists from the University of Alabama have found, the bowhead whale's body has mechanisms that partly suppress the main ailments of aging, including cancer. The animal leads an extremely calm lifestyle, somewhat similar to the lifestyle of the Greenland shark. True, bowhead whales begin to have sex not at 150, but at 20. After all, mammals, not archaic fish ...
MAN 122
86 years old
ELEPHANT
Elephas maximus
Detachment - proboscis
Family - elephant
Genus - Asian elephants
View - Asian elephant
Life expectancy - 86 years
In land-dwelling mammals, the Asian elephant holds the record (Elephas maximus). True, this is if we exclude a person from the rating (after all, priority belongs to Homo sapiens- there are many examples of longevity with access to the centennial milestone). As for Indian elephants, in the wild they live up to 60-70 years. By old age, the incisors wear down and can no longer process plants for food. The animal is doomed. In captivity, with the help of people, giants are able to stretch even longer - a case is known when an elephant died at the zoo at the age of 86 years.
83 years old
FLAMINGO
Phoenicopterus roseus
Squad - flamingos
Family - flamingos
Genus - flamingos
View - pink flamingo
Life expectancy - 83 years
Almost everyone has heard the legend about the ravens of the Tower, which have been living for 300 years. The fairy tale is beautiful, but science cannot confirm anything like this. There is evidence that at the time of his death, the longest raven who lived in the Tower was 44 years old. But in fact, in the feathered regiment, Greater, the pink flamingo, became the record holder for longevity. (Phoenicopterus roseus) from the Adelaide Zoo (Australia). He passed away in 2014 at the age of 83. Long-lived rivals are known among condors and large parrots such as cockatoos or macaws. All longevity records are in captivity. In nature, relatives of the mentioned birds live much less, because old age is far from the only factor that leads to the death of the organism. This also applies to the "eternal" jellyfish.
It may seem to some that mammals (and we are among them) turned out to be offended by nature. However, the lifespan of an organism is just a strategy imposed by population selection. And if even one-day moths continue to live, breed and multiply, then the strategy adopted is correct, and the fate of an individual, as biologists say, does not matter for evolution. Everything that does not die for a long time is either primitive or leads a “slowed down” lifestyle. And hardly any of us would like to become a bacterium or a jellyfish.
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