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…
Associate professor Dorota Skowronska-Krawczyk of the University of California, Irvine studies the Greenland shark's eyes, observing its slow movements through Arctic waters. She explains that these sharks possess the longest known vertebrate lifespan, potentially reaching 400 years. Greenland sharks have thick gray bodies, small heads, and short snouts, with cloudy-looking eyes that often appear lifeless due to parasitic infestations.
Due to the sharks' dark, murky environment, scientists previously suspected they might be blind. However, Skowronska-Krawczyk's recent research, conducted with international collaborators, challenges this assumption and offers insights into eye health and aging. The study reveals that the sharks' DNA repair mechanism helps preserve their vision over centuries without retinal degeneration.
Additionally, their visual systems are specially adapted to the low light levels of their Arctic habitat, with rhodopsin protein tuned to detect blue light. These findings could lead to new strategies for preventing age-related vision loss in humans and deepen our understanding of vision evolution and tissue functionality over long periods.
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