1. SPS Accounts:
    Do you find yourself coming back time after time? Do you appreciate the ongoing hard work to keep this community focused and successful in its mission? Please consider supporting us by upgrading to an SPS Account. Besides the warm and fuzzy feeling that comes from supporting a good cause, you'll also get a significant number of ever-expanding perks and benefits on the site and the forums. Click here to find out more.
    Dismiss Notice
Dismiss Notice
You are currently viewing Boards o' Magick as a guest, but you can register an account here. Registration is fast, easy and free. Once registered you will have access to search the forums, create and respond to threads, PM other members, upload screenshots and access many other features unavailable to guests.

BoM cultivates a friendly and welcoming atmosphere. We have been aiming for quality over quantity with our forums from their inception, and believe that this distinction is truly tangible and valued by our members. We'd love to have you join us today!

(If you have any problems with the registration process or your account login, please contact us. If you've forgotten your username or password, click here.)

Scientists Find Oldest Living Animal, Then Kill It

Discussion in 'Whatnots' started by Taluntain, Oct 31, 2007.

  1. Taluntain

    Taluntain Resident Alpha and Omega Staff Member ★ SPS Account Holder Resourceful Adored Veteran Pillars of Eternity SP Immortalizer (for helping immortalize Sorcerer's Place in the game!) New Server Contributor [2012] (for helping Sorcerer's Place lease a new, more powerful server!) Torment: Tides of Numenera SP Immortalizer (for helping immortalize Sorcerer's Place in the game!) BoM XenForo Migration Contributor [2015] (for helping support the migration to new forum software!)

    Joined:
    Jun 11, 2000
    Messages:
    23,645
    Media:
    494
    Likes Received:
    564
    Gender:
    Male
    Remove all ads!
    [​IMG] British marine biologists have found what may be the oldest living animal — that is, until they killed it.

    The team from Bangor University in Wales was dredging the waters north of Iceland as part of routine research when the unfortunate specimen, belonging to the clam species Arctica islandica, commonly known as the ocean quahog, was hauled up from waters 250 feet deep.

    Only after researchers cut through its shell, which made it more of an ex-clam, and counted its growth rings did they realize how old it had been — between 405 and 410 years old.

    (More.)

    Can you say :doh: ?
     
    Taluntain, Oct 31, 2007
    #1

  2. Goli Ironhead Gems: 16/31
    Latest gem: Shandon

    Joined:
    Dec 31, 2004
    Messages:
    859
    Likes Received:
    1
    Hmmh... They don't seem too sorry about it.
     
    Goli Ironhead, Oct 31, 2007
    #2
  3. Kitrax

    Kitrax Pantaloons are supposed to go where!?!?

    Joined:
    Apr 19, 2002
    Messages:
    7,899
    Media:
    74
    Likes Received:
    96
    Gender:
    Male
    Geeze...that's one old clam. I wonder if it had a pearl in it... :money:

    However, I'm sure there are more of a similar age at the bottom of the ocean. If one can live that long, surely others can too. :rolling:
     
    Kitrax, Oct 31, 2007
    #3
  4. Dice

    Dice ★ SPS Account Holder Adored Veteran

    Joined:
    Jun 23, 2002
    Messages:
    5,125
    Media:
    24
    Likes Received:
    149
    Gender:
    Female
    It kind of makes me wonder what is the point of living that long....if you have the brain of a clam.
     
    Dice, Oct 31, 2007
    #4
  5. henkie

    henkie Hammertime Resourceful Adored Veteran New Server Contributor [2012] (for helping Sorcerer's Place lease a new, more powerful server!)

    Joined:
    Jan 13, 2006
    Messages:
    2,662
    Media:
    38
    Likes Received:
    158
    Gender:
    Male
    The answer to that is, of course, that there is no point to living. Only to live is the point.
     
    henkie, Oct 31, 2007
    #5
  6. Barmy Army

    Barmy Army Simple mind, simple pleasures... Adored Veteran

    Joined:
    May 26, 2003
    Messages:
    6,586
    Media:
    2
    Likes Received:
    162
    It's a bloody clam. Are they even sentient? I didn't know they classed as animals anyway!!!
     
    Barmy Army, Oct 31, 2007
    #6
  7. Dalveen

    Dalveen Rimmer gone Bald Veteran

    Joined:
    Oct 11, 2002
    Messages:
    1,443
    Media:
    3
    Likes Received:
    9
    An Organism does not need to be sentient to be classed as an Animal. Anyway, define sentience? The clam can move from one area to the next depending on food levels, environmental conditions etc... Does that count as being sentient?
     
    Dalveen, Nov 1, 2007
    #7
  8. Dice

    Dice ★ SPS Account Holder Adored Veteran

    Joined:
    Jun 23, 2002
    Messages:
    5,125
    Media:
    24
    Likes Received:
    149
    Gender:
    Female
    I wonder if it would be chewy if you ate it... I mean chewier than your average clam.
     
    Dice, Nov 2, 2007
    #8
  9. Kitrax

    Kitrax Pantaloons are supposed to go where!?!?

    Joined:
    Apr 19, 2002
    Messages:
    7,899
    Media:
    74
    Likes Received:
    96
    Gender:
    Male
    You know...it would kind of be sad if they *didn't* eat the thing after killing it. :bad: :rolling:
     
    Kitrax, Nov 2, 2007
    #9

  10. The Magister Gems: 26/31
    Latest gem: Diamond

    Joined:
    Oct 17, 2006
    Messages:
    2,364
    Media:
    16
    Likes Received:
    7
    Gender:
    Male
    Oh SNAP. That'd make you feel guilty :rolleyes:
     
    The Magister, Nov 2, 2007
    #10
  11. Harbourboy

    Harbourboy Take thy form from off my door! Veteran Pillars of Eternity SP Immortalizer (for helping immortalize Sorcerer's Place in the game!)

    Joined:
    May 29, 2003
    Messages:
    13,354
    Likes Received:
    99
    Wow, that clam was alive in 1600 AD? Awesome!
     
    Harbourboy, Nov 2, 2007
    #11

  12. kuemper Gems: 31/31
    Latest gem: Rogue Stone

    Joined:
    Jun 19, 2005
    Messages:
    8,926
    Likes Received:
    8
    How Pythonesque. Relevant ad: Quahog Clam - creative cooking, better baking. :lol:
     
    kuemper, Nov 2, 2007
    #12
  13. Arahar

    Arahar Hmm, it's a dwarf. Distinguished Member ★ SPS Account Holder

    Joined:
    Feb 24, 2002
    Messages:
    681
    Likes Received:
    5
    That is so funny
     
    Arahar, Nov 3, 2007
    #13
  14. Splunge

    Splunge Bhaal’s financial advisor Adored Veteran Pillars of Eternity SP Immortalizer (for helping immortalize Sorcerer's Place in the game!) Torment: Tides of Numenera SP Immortalizer (for helping immortalize Sorcerer's Place in the game!)

    Joined:
    Jun 7, 2003
    Messages:
    6,815
    Media:
    6
    Likes Received:
    336
    [​IMG]
    Ah yes, I remember that clam back when it was just a pup. I released it and said to it "Live long and prosper, and then die an insignificant death". Apparently someone overheard the first part, and took it out of context.
     
    Splunge, Nov 3, 2007
    #14
  15. Montresor

    Montresor Mostly Harmless Staff Member ★ SPS Account Holder

    Joined:
    Aug 11, 2005
    Messages:
    3,103
    Media:
    127
    Likes Received:
    183
    Gender:
    Male
    I think they opened the clam not to count the year rings but to study their thickness etc. in order to find out how conditions in the oceans had changed over the years, much like tree rings show historical information about weather conditions from year to year.

    The information gathered from rings in trees have given scientists a very good picture of how atmospheric conditions have changed over the last few thousand years, and they can tell more or less exactly where and when a particular tree grew. For example, by studying the rings in tree used to build one of the Viking ships in Roskilde, Denmark, scientists have found that the ship was built from trees felled near Dublin, Ireland in 1042! :eek:
     
    Montresor, Nov 3, 2007
    #15
Sorcerer's Place is a project run entirely by fans and for fans. Maintaining Sorcerer's Place and a stable environment for all our hosted sites requires a substantial amount of our time and funds on a regular basis, so please consider supporting us to keep the site up & running smoothly. Thank you!

Sorcerers.net is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to products on amazon.com, amazon.ca and amazon.co.uk. Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates.