# University of Copenhagen dates Arctic shark by eye lens radiocarbon: adults live over two hundred years

- Published: 2026-11-10 11:35 UTC
- Section: Life & Health › Biology & biochemistry
- Tags: Arctic shark lifespan, eye lens proteins, radiocarbon dating, University of Copenhagen, cartilaginous fish, animal longevity, slow metabolism, late maturity
- URL: https://realtech.media/news/rt-c56a1520596cc87d219f0aaf_university_of_copenhagen/

**University of Copenhagen researchers dated eye lens tissue of female Arctic sharks by radiocarbon, since cartilage has no growth rings. Adults live over two hundred years.**

![University of Copenhagen dates Arctic shark by eye lens radiocarbon: adults live over two hundred years](https://realtech.media/media/2026/11/4aa57a02c99011cf.jpg)
*catracalivre.com.br*

Researchers at the University of Copenhagen estimated the age of Arctic sharks by analysing the eye lens, according to catracalivre.com.br. The team studied female specimens collected during scientific expeditions and found that adults can live more than two hundred years [1]. The largest specimen reached almost four centuries [1].

The species is cartilaginous. It has no rigid bones and does not form traditional growth rings, which has long made it difficult to estimate the age of these animals [1].

## Eye lens as a record of age

The lens consists of embryonic proteins synthesised before birth. According to the report, they remain intact throughout the animal's life [1]. The scientists removed successive cell layers until they reached the preserved central part of the lens and isolated this original material [1]. These macromolecules work as a time capsule, so lifespan can be quantified without calcified bone tissue [1].

The team used radiocarbon dating to measure isotopes in the eye tissue. This gave the chronology of development and an age estimate for each specimen [1]. Markers left by atmospheric nuclear tests in the middle of the last century served as the calibration reference [1]. With this reference, the researchers confirmed the age of the largest animal [1].

## Cold water, slow metabolism, late maturity

The publication links the longevity to the polar environment. Extremely low temperatures slow the basal metabolism of internal tissues, which reduces daily wear and makes anatomical development very gradual over decades [1]. Body growth is about one centimetre per year [1].

Reproductive maturity comes only after more than a century of continuous growth [1]. The article describes this late reproduction as an evolutionary adaptation of the species [1].

The source adds that the preservation of proteins observed in these animals widens research on cellular conservation. It may inform further studies of molecular stability and the functional wear of living tissues [1].

## Sources

1. [catracalivre.com.br](https://catracalivre.com.br/noticias/um-tubarao-do-artico-pode-viver-mais-de-250-anos-como-os-cientistas-descobriram-sua-idade-analisando-estruturas-dos-olhos)

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Source: RealTech, realtech.media — https://realtech.media/news/rt-c56a1520596cc87d219f0aaf_university_of_copenhagen/