Ming the Clam Lived for 507 Years

Somewhere off the coast of Iceland, a clam was quietly going about its business when Christopher Columbus sailed to America. It was still there when Shakespeare wrote his plays. Still there through both World Wars. And in 2006, scientists dredged it up from the ocean floor—and accidentally killed the oldest individual animal ever discovered.

Her name was Ming, and she was 507 years old.

A Discovery Gone Wrong

Researchers from Bangor University in Wales were studying ocean quahogs (Arctica islandica) to understand climate change patterns preserved in their shells. When they collected specimens from the seabed near Iceland, they had no idea one of them had been alive since 1499.

To determine Ming's age, scientists needed to count the growth rings inside her shell—much like counting tree rings. The catch? They had to open the shell to do it. By the time they realized what they had, Ming was already dead.

Older Than Originally Thought

The initial 2007 estimate put Ming at 405 years old, which was already extraordinary. But in 2013, researchers took another look using more sophisticated techniques and revised the age upward to 507 years.

That means Ming was born around 1499—during the reign of the Ming Dynasty in China, which is how she got her nickname. To put that in perspective:

• Leonardo da Vinci was still alive and painting
• The Protestant Reformation hadn't happened yet
• The printing press had only been invented 50 years earlier
• Nobody knew Australia or Antarctica existed

Why Ocean Quahogs Live So Long

Ocean quahogs are the tortoises of the sea. These unassuming bivalves have evolved remarkable longevity, with many individuals routinely living past 200 years. Scientists believe their extreme lifespan comes from exceptionally stable cells that resist the damage typically associated with aging.

Their shells act as living climate records. Each growth ring captures information about ocean temperature, salinity, and food availability from that year. Ming's shell contained over five centuries of environmental data—an invaluable scientific treasure.

The Guilt Factor

When news broke that researchers had killed the world's oldest animal, the public reaction was... mixed. Headlines ranged from mournful to accusatory. The scientists, for their part, pointed out that they routinely collect thousands of these clams, and there's no way to know their age without opening them.

Besides, Ming had already died during collection or transport—the examination just confirmed what they'd lost. And statistically speaking, there are probably even older quahogs still sitting undiscovered on the ocean floor right now.

A Record That May Never Be Broken

Ming holds the verified record for the oldest known individual animal—meaning a single organism, not a colony. Some colonial organisms like corals can live for thousands of years, but they're made up of many genetically identical individuals rather than one continuous creature.

For a single animal to outlive empires, survive centuries of climate shifts, and witness half a millennium of human history—only to be scooped up in a research net—feels almost poetic. Ming didn't do anything remarkable. She just sat in the cold Icelandic waters, filtering plankton, growing one microscopic ring at a time.

Sometimes the secret to a long life is simply staying put and keeping quiet.