This shark can live 400 years. Its eyes barely seem to age
Greenland sharks may live for 400 years without suffering the kind of retinal decline normally associated with aging. Researchers found healthy eye tissue and active proteins specially adapted for seeing blue light in the dim Arctic depths. DNA repair mechanisms may help keep their eyes functioning across centuries. The discovery could eventually offer new clues for protecting human vision as we…
University of California, Irvine's Dorota Skowronska-Krawczyk observes a Greenland shark gliding through Arctic waters in her computer screen footage. These sharks, known as the longest-living vertebrates, can survive up to 400 years. Their large, gray bodies, small heads, and rounded snouts are accompanied by cloudy eyes often covered in parasites.
Scientists have long suspected these sharks may be functionally blind due to their environment and parasites. However, Skowronska-Krawczyk's new research suggests otherwise. Published in Nature Communications, the study reveals Greenland sharks may have a unique DNA repair mechanism that preserves their eyesight for centuries without retinal degeneration.
Their visual systems are also specially adapted to the low light levels of their Arctic habitat. The study, co-authored by researchers from the University of Basel, Switzerland, challenges assumptions about Greenland shark vision, indicating their eyes may not be as impaired as previously thought.
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