Studying these long-lived whales could provide hints about how to prolong human life. This gene is involved in cell growth and repair, and the duplication could slow aging, Live Science previously reported. Furthermore, another gene, called PCNA, has a section that has been duplicated. The whales have mutations in a gene called ERCC1, which is involved with repairing damaged DNA, that may help protect the whales from cancer, a potential cause of death. The Arctic and sub-Arctic whales' exact life span is unknown, but stone harpoon tips found in some harvested individuals prove that they comfortably live over 100 years and may live more than 200 years, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). ![]() (Image credit: Kelvin Aitken / VWPics / Alamy Stock Photo)īowhead whales ( Balaena mysticetus) are the longest-living mammals. Bowhead whale: potentially 200+ years oldĪ bowhead whale breaches in waters near the Qikiqtaaluk Region in Nunavut, northern Canada. Related: Mysterious 'blue goo' at the bottom of the sea stumps scientists 10. ![]() The red sea urchins found off Washington and Alaska probably live more than 100 years, and the longest-living individuals in British Columbia, Canada, may be around 200 years old, according to a 2003 study published in the journal Fishery Bulletin. Researchers used to assume that red sea urchins grew quickly and had modest life spans of up to about 10 years, but as scientists studied the species in more detail, they realized these urchins continue to grow very slowly and, in some locations, will survive for centuries if they can avoid predators, disease and fishers. They live in shallow coastal waters off North America from California to Alaska, where they feed on marine plants, according to Oregon State University. Red sea urchins ( Strongylocentrotus franciscanus) are small, round invertebrates covered in spines. (Image credit: Brent Durand via Getty Images) (Purple sea urchins ( Strongylocentrotus purpuratus) and red sea urchins ( Mesocentrotus franciscanus).
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