Did you know that the mystery of how long whale sharks live was solved thanks to nuclear bomb tests? 🌊🐋
Whale sharks, the largest fish in the ocean, have long puzzled scientists when it comes to determining their lifespan. Researchers have been using growth rings in whale shark vertebrae—much like counting tree rings—to estimate their age. However, there was a big debate: do these growth rings form every 6 months or every 12 months?
The answer came from an unexpected source: the radioactive fallout from nuclear bomb tests conducted in the 1950s. These atmospheric tests released carbon-14, a radioactive isotope, which seeped into the oceans and embedded itself into marine life, including whale sharks. By studying these radioactive markers in the sharks' vertebrae, scientists discovered that each growth ring forms annually, solving the long-standing puzzle of whale shark aging.
This fascinating discovery has led scientists to determine that whale sharks can live for at least 50 years, offering critical insights for conservation efforts aimed at protecting this majestic species.
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