Greenland Sharks Live 300 Years With Aging Hearts That Still Keep Beating
Greenland sharks can live roughly 300 years, making them the longest-lived vertebrate known. Scientists examined their heart tissue and found striking signs of aging — extensive scarring, toxic waste buildup in cells, damaged mitochondria, and oxidative stress markers — all hallmarks normally linked to heart failure in other animals. Yet the sharks appeared completely healthy when caught. Comparing them to a shorter-lived deep-sea shark and a fast-aging fish species, the researchers found these cardiac aging features were unique to Greenland sharks. This suggests the species has evolved a remarkable biological tolerance to aging damage, allowing the heart to function normally despite accumulating decades of cellular wear. Understanding how they do this could open new doors for human cardiac longevity research.