Now scientists calculate that this female Greenland shark was the Earth's oldest living animal with a backbone. Using a novel dating technique, an international team of biologists and physicists estimated the age of 28 dead female Greenland sharks based on tissue in their eyes. Lowe, in an email, said "the rule of thumb is deep and cold = old when it comes to fishes." Greenland sharks love cold water — preferring temperatures near freezing — and are all over the Arctic. They estimated that the gray shark, part of the species named after Greenland, was born in the icy waters roughly 400 years ago, and died only recently.

Source: Fox News August 12, 2016 00:33 UTC