Imagine an animal swimming through the ocean for centuries, surviving through generations of human history, and potentially witnessing the rise and fall of empires without ever leaving its underwater world. This is the extraordinary possibility revealed by scientific research into the Greenland shark, one of the longest-living vertebrates known to science.
In 2016, researchers reported that a female Greenland shark could have been approximately 392 years old when examined, making it potentially one of the oldest vertebrates ever studied. The discovery raised fascinating questions about marine life, ageing and how long certain animals can survive beneath the ocean's surface.
The estimated age suggests that the shark may have been born around the early 1600s, possibly around 1620. If so, it would have existed long before the United States declared independence in 1776 and centuries before the first successful powered aeroplane flight in 1903.
How Scientists Estimated the Shark's Age
The groundbreaking research, published in the scientific journal Science in August 2016, was conducted by an international team led by marine biologist Julius Nielsen.
Rather than relying on conventional methods used to estimate the ages of fish, the researchers examined the eye lenses of 28 female Greenland sharks measuring between 81 and 502 centimetres in length.
Scientists used radiocarbon dating to analyse the central nuclei of the sharks' eye lenses. These structures contain proteins formed early in life that remain largely unchanged, allowing researchers to investigate clues about when the animals were born.
By comparing the radiocarbon evidence with historical changes in atmospheric carbon levels, the researchers estimated the ages of the sharks.
The largest specimen, measuring approximately 5 metres (16.4 feet), was estimated to be 392 years old. However, the researchers reported a substantial margin of uncertainty of approximately 120 years. This means the figure is an estimate rather than an exact measurement.
The study concluded that Greenland sharks could live for several centuries, potentially making them the longest-lived vertebrates known.
A Shark Older Than Modern America
The historical implications of the discovery are remarkable.
William Shakespeare died in 1616, while the estimated birth period of the shark falls around the same era. The United States would not declare independence until 1776, and aviation pioneers would not achieve the first successful powered, controlled and sustained aeroplane flight until 1903.
If the age estimate is close to the shark's actual age, the animal may have been alive throughout much of this extraordinary historical transformation.
Its story illustrates how dramatically the timescales of animal life can differ from those of human civilisation.
Why Greenland Sharks Live So Long
Greenland sharks inhabit the cold waters of the North Atlantic and Arctic Oceans, where they can be found at considerable depths. They are slow-growing animals, with some estimates suggesting annual growth of less than one centimetre.
Their exceptionally slow growth, cold-water environment and distinctive biology are believed to contribute to their extraordinary longevity, although scientists are still investigating the precise mechanisms that allow them to survive for so long.
Reproduction is another remarkable aspect of their life cycle. The 2016 study estimated that Greenland sharks reach sexual maturity at around 156 years of age, with an uncertainty of approximately 22 years. This means they may spend more than a century growing before becoming capable of reproducing.
Such a slow reproductive cycle also raises conservation concerns because populations may take a very long time to recover from overfishing or other threats.
Could Other Centuries-Old Sharks Still Be Alive?
Perhaps the most fascinating possibility is that other Greenland sharks born hundreds of years ago could still be swimming through the Arctic and North Atlantic today.
The individual estimated to be 392 years old was part of a research study; the finding does not mean that every Greenland shark reaches this age. Nevertheless, the research suggests that the species is capable of exceptional longevity.
Scientists must also acknowledge the limitations of the findings. A Canadian federal species assessment published in 2025 noted that the age estimates remain uncertain and have not been independently validated through an alternative reliable ageing method. The precise maximum lifespan of the species therefore remains an open scientific question.
Even with these uncertainties, the evidence points to an animal whose lifespan may extend far beyond that of almost every other vertebrate.
A Living Reminder of the Ocean's Mysteries
The Greenland shark is more than an unusual marine predator. It represents how much remains unknown about life beneath the ocean's surface.
While human societies have experienced revolutions, technological breakthroughs and profound political changes over the past four centuries, an animal of this species may have continued moving through the dark, freezing waters of the Arctic.
And somewhere in those depths, there could be another Greenland shark that was already alive before modern America existed.
For scientists, the challenge is to understand how these extraordinary animals age, reproduce and survive for so long. For the rest of the world, their existence offers a remarkable reminder that the natural world operates on timescales far beyond our everyday experience.
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