man and mystery vol 15 - near immortals [rev06]

8/10/2019 Man and Mystery Vol 15 - Near Immortals [Rev06]

1/39

A collection of intriguing topics and fascinating stories

about the rare, the paranormal, and the strange

Near Immortals

Volume 5

Discover natures weirdest and longest-lived creatures.Jump into the world of lost civilizations and extinct animal kingdom.

Pablo C. Agsalud Jr.Revision 6


2/39

Foreword

In the past, things like television, and words andideas like advertising, capitalism, microwave andcancer all seemed too strange for the ordinaryman.

As man walks towards the future, overloaded withinformation, more mysteries have been solvedthrough the wonders of science. Although somethings remained too odd for science to reproduceor disprove, man had placed them in the grayareas between truth and skepticism and labeledthem with terminologies fit for the modern age.

But the truth is, as long as the strange andunexplainable cases keep piling up, the more likelyit would seem normal or natural. Answers arealways elusive and far too fewer than questions.And yet, behind all the wonderful and frighteningphenomena around us, it is possible that what wecall mysterious today wont be too strangetomorrow.

This book might encourage you to believe or refutewhat lies beyond your own understanding.Nonetheless, I hope it will keep you entertainedand astonished.

The content of this book remains believable for aslong as the sources and/or the references from thespecified sources exist and that the validity of theinformation remains unchallenged.


3/39

Longest-living Things

Ancient trees, long-lived shrub and oldest living animals .


4/39

List of long-living organismsWikipedia.org

This is a list of the oldest individual lifeforms. This is usually defined as:

Having a longer life span than any other known individual Longevity record-holders

Biological immortality

If the mortality rate of a species does not increase after maturity, the species does not ageand is said to be biologically immortal. There are many examples of plants and animals forwhich the mortality rate actually decreases with age, for all or part of the life cycle.[1] Coralcolonies and aspen trees are the clearest examples. Some large trees may routinely grow insize for decades, while their mortality rates decrease. Some sources say that sharks, too,grow larger in size while their mortality rate decreases, for long periods of their lives.

If the mortality rate remains constant, the rate determines the mean lifespan. The lifespan canbe long or short, even though the species technically "does not age". There are manyexamples of species for which scientists have not detected an increase in mortality rate aftermaturity. An alternative explanation for this phenomenon may be that the mean lifespan ofthe species is so long that the modern scientific study of longevity and senescence has not yetmatured enough itself to measure longevity in the species.

Saniculais a herb, native to Europe and the Americas, which lives about 70 years inthe wild. Old saniculae do not die at a higher rate than younger ones.

Sea urchins, lobstersand some clamshave relatively high rates of mortality in theocean, but mortality does not appear to increase with age.

Hydraswere observed, in a study published in the journal Experimental Gerontology,for four years without any increase in mortality rate.

There are stranger examples of species that have been observed to regress to a larval stateand regrow into adults multiple times:

The Hydrozoan species Turritopsis nutricula is capable of cycling from a matureadult stage to an immature polyp stage and back again. This means that there may beno natural limit to its life span. However, no single specimen has been observed forany extended period, and it is impossible to estimate the age of a specimen.

The larvae of carrion beetleshave been made to undergo a degree of "reverseddevelopment" when starved, and later to grow back to the previously attained level ofmaturity. The cycle can be repeated many times.


5/39

Revived into activity after stasis

Various claims have been made about reviving bacterial sporesto active metabolismafter millions of years. There are claims of spores from amber being revived after 40

million years, and spores from salt deposits in New Mexico being revived after 240million years. These claims have been made by credible researchers, but are notuniversally accepted. In a related find, a scientist was able to coax 34,000 year oldsalt-captured bacteria to reproduce and his results were duplicated at a separateindependent laboratory facility.

A seed from the previously extinct Judean date palmwas revived and managed tosprout after nearly 2,000 years.

Silene stenophyllawas grown from fruit found in an ancient squirrel's cache. Thegerminated plants bore viable seeds. The fruit was dated to be 31,800 years old 300years.

In 1994, a seed from a sacred lotus (Nelumbo nucifera), dated at roughly 1,300years old 270 years, was successfully germinated.

Clonal plant colonies

As with all long-lived plant and fungal species, no individual part of a clonal colony isalive (in the sense of active metabolism) for more than a very small fraction of the lifeof the entire clone. Some clonal colonies may be fully connected via their rootsystems, while most are not actually interconnected, but are genetically identicalclones which populated an area through vegetative reproduction. Ages for clonalcolonies, often based on current growth rates, are estimates.

Pando is a Populus tremuloides (Quaking Aspen) tree or clonal colony that hasbeen estimated at 80,000 years old. Unlike many other clonal "colonies" the aboveground trunks remain connected to each other via a single massive underground rootsystem. Whether it is to be considered a single tree is disputed, as it depends on one'sdefinition of an individual tree.

The Jurupa Oak colonyis estimated to be at least 13,000 years of age, with other

estimates ranging from 5,000 to 30,000 years. A huge colony of the sea grass Posidonia oceanica in the Mediterranean Sea isestimated to be between 12,000 and 200,000 years old. The maximum age istheoretical, as the region it occupies was above water at some point between 10,000and 80,000 years ago.

King's Lomatia in Tasmania: The sole surviving clonal colony of this species isestimated to be at least 43,600 years old.

Eucalyptus recurva: clones in Australia are claimed to be 13,000 years old. King Cloneis a creosote bush (Larrea tridentata) in the Mojave desert estimated at

11,700 years old. Another creosote bush has been said to be 12,150 years old, butthis is as yet unconfirmed.

A Huon Pine colonyon Mount Read, Tasmania is estimated at 10,000 years old, withindividual specimens living to over 3,000 years.

Old Tjikko, a Norway Spruce in Sweden, is a tree on top of roots that have been

carbon dated to 9,550 years old. The tree is part of a clonal colony that wasestablished at the end of the last ice age. Discovered by Professor Leif Kullman, atUme University, the tree is located in the county of Dalarna in Sweden. Old Tjikko issmall, only 5 metres (16 ft) in height.

A box huckleberrybush in Pennsylvania is thought to be perhaps 8,000 years of age. An individual of the fungus species Armillaria solidipes in the Malheur National

Forest is thought to be between 2,000 and 8,500 years old. It is thought to be theworld's largest organism by area, at 2,384 acres (965 hectares).


6/39

Individual plant specimens

A Great Basin Bristlecone Pine(Pinus longaeva) is measured by ring count to be5062 years old. This is the oldest known tree in North America, and the oldest knownliving individual tree in the world.

Llangernyw Yew, the oldest individual tree in Europe and second or third oldest

individual tree in the world. Believed to be aged between 4,000 years and 5,000 yearsold, this ancient yew (Taxus baccata) is in the churchyard of the village of Llangernywin North Wales.

Fortingall Yew, an ancient yew (Taxus baccata) in the churchyard of the village ofFortingall in Perthshire, Scotland; one of the oldest known individual trees in Europe.Various estimates have put its age at between 2000 and 5000 years, although thesedays it is believed to be at the lower end of this range.

Fitzroyacupressoides is the species with the second oldest verified age, a specimenin Chile being measured by ring count as 3,622 years old.

A Sacred Fig(Ficus religiosa), the Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi in Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka is2,300 years old (planted in 288 BC). It is the oldest known flowering plant and theoldest known living to date human-planted tree in the world.

A specimen of Lagarostrobos franklinii in Tasmania is thought to be about 2000years old.

Numerous olive treesare purported to be 2000 years old or older. An olive tree inAno Vouves, Crete, claiming such longevity, has been confirmed on the basis of treering analysis.

Jmon Sugi, the cryptomeria naturally grown in Yakushima Island, Kagoshima,Japan, more than 2,170 to 7,200 years old.

Great sugiof Kayano, the cryptomeria deemed planted by humans in Kaga, Ishikawa,Japan, estimated age of 2,300 years in 1928.

Welwitschia is a monotypic genus of gymnosperm plant, composed solely of thedistinct Welwitschia mirabilis. It is the only genus of the family Welwitschiaceae, in theorder Welwitschiales, in the division Gnetophyta. The plant is considered a living fossil.Radiocarbon dating has confirmed that there are many individuals which have livedlonger than 1000 years, and some are suspected to be older than 2000 years.

Yareta is a tiny flowering plant in the family Apiaceae native to South America,occurring in the Puna grasslands of the Andes in Peru, Bolivia, the north of Chile and

the west of Argentina at between 3,200 and 4,500 metres altitude. Some yaretascould be up to 3,000 years old.


7/39

Terrestrial animals

Adwaita, an Aldabra Giant Tortoise died at the age of 255 in March 2006 in AliporeZoo, Kolkata, India. It was recorded the oldest Terrestrial animal in the world.

The tuatara can live well above 100 years. Henry, a tuatara at the Southland Museumin New Zealand, mated for the first time at the age of 111 years in 2009 with an 80-

year-old female and fathered 11 baby tuataras. Tu'i Malila, a Radiated tortoise, died at an age of 188 years in May 1965, the oldest

verified vertebrate. Harriet, a Galpagos tortoise, died at the age of 175 years in June 2006. A female Blue-and-yellow Macaw named Charlie was reportedly hatched in 1899,

which would make her 111 years old, as of 2010. Her age has not been independentlyconfirmed and the claim may not be reliable. She is claimed to have formerly belongedto Winston Churchill, but Churchill's daughter denies the claim.

Lin Wang, an Asian elephant was the oldest elephant in the Taipei Zoo. He was bornin 1917 and died in February 2003 at age 86, surpassing the previous record of 84.Normally elephants live up to 50, while their maximum lifespan is generally estimatedat 70.

Thaao, the Andean condor died at the age of 80. Cookie, a Major Mitchell's Cockatoo resident at Brookfield Zoo, Illinois, USA is the

oldest member of his species in captivity, at a verified age of 80. A female Laysan Albatross named Wisdom successfully hatched a chick at Midway

Atoll in February 2013, at the age of 62. The oldest living horse on record was a miniature horse affected by dwarfism named

Angelwho lived with the Horse Protection Society of North Carolina and lived to beover 50.

Creme Puff, a cat owned by Jake Perry of Austin, Texas, lived from 1967 to 2005 - atotal of 38 years and 3 days.


8/39

Aquatic animals

Turritopsis nutricula, the immortal jellyfish, is known to be the longest-livingcreature which could live on forever without dying of old age. Most may be aged a fewhundred years, as they still can be killed.

Some species of spongesin the ocean near Antarctica are thought to be 10,000 years

old. Specimens of the black coralgenus Leiopathes are among the oldest continuously

living organisms on the planet: around 4,265 years old. The giant barrel sponge Xestospongia mutais one of the longest-lived animals, with

the largest specimens in the Caribbean estimated to be in excess of 2,300 years. The black coral Antipathariain the Gulf of Mexico may live more than 2000 years. The Antarctic sponge Cinachyra antarcticahas an extremely slow growth rate in the

low temperatures of the Southern Ocean. One specimen has been estimated to be1,550 years old.

A specimen of the Icelandic Cyprine Arctica islandica (also known as an oceanquahog), a mollusk, was found to have lived 507 years . Another specimen had arecorded life span of 374 years.

Some koi fish have reportedly lived more than 200 years, the oldest being Hanako,who died at an age of 226 years on July 7, 1977.

Orange roughy, also known as Deep Sea Perch, lives as long as 149 or 156 years. Some confirmed sources estimated Bowhead Whales to have lived at least to 211

years of age, making them the oldest mammals. In recent times, the Russian malacologist Valeriy Zyuganov received worldwide

reputation after he determined the maximum lifespan (210250 years) in thefreshwater pearl mussel (Margaritifera margaritifera). The data of V.V. Zyuganovhave been confirmed by Finnish malacologists and gained general acceptance.

Specimens of the Red Sea Urchin, Strongylocentrotus franciscanus, have beenfound to be over 200 years old.

The deep-sea hydrocarbon seep tubeworm Lamellibrachia luymesi (Annelida,Polychaeta) lives for more than 170 years.

Timothy, a Greek Tortoise, died at an age of 160 years in April 2004. Tardigrades, capable of cryptobiosis, have been shown to survive nearly 120 years in

a dry state.

Geoduck, a species of saltwater clam native to the Puget Sound, have been known tolive more than 160 years. George the lobsterwas estimated to be approximately 140 years old by PETA in

January 2009. In 2012, a sturgeonwas caught in a Wisconsin river that was estimated to be 125

years old. An orca of the "Southern Resident Community" identified as J-2 or Granny is

estimated to be the oldest orca in the entire community and is 101 years old, as of2012.


9/39

Fortingall Yew (tree)Wikipedia.org

The Fortingall Yew is an ancient yew (Taxus baccata) in the churchyard of the village ofFortingall in Perthshire, Scotland. Various estimates have put its age at between 2,000 and5,000 years; recent research into yew tree ages suggests that it is likely to be nearer the

lower limit of 2,000 years. This makes it one of the oldest known trees in Europe,although the root system of the Norway spruce "Old Tjikko" in Sweden is older.

The Yew Tree

The yew's once massive trunk (16 metres, or 52 feet in girth when it was first taken notice ofin writing, in 1769) with a former head of unknown original height, is split into severalseparate stems, giving the impression of several smaller trees, with loss of the heartwoodrings that would establish its true age. This is a result of the natural decay of the ancientheartwood, which reduced the centre of the trunk down to ground level by 1770. Other thanthis the tree is still in good health and may last for many more centuries. By 1833 it wasnoted that "large arms had been removed and even masses of the trunk, carried off, to makedrinking-cups and other curiosities." It is protected by a low wall erected in 1785to preserve itbut it can still be easily viewed.

Clippings from the tree are to be taken to the Royal Botanic Gardens in Edinburgh to form partof a mile long hedge. The purpose of this "Yew Conservation Hedge Project" is to maintain theDNA of Taxus baccata from ancient specimens in the UK as, worldwide, the trees arethreatened by felling and disease.

History

The area immediately surrounding Fortingall has a variety of prehistoric archaeological sitesincluding Crn na Marbh, a Bronze Age tumulus. Place-name and archaeological evidence hintat an Iron Age cult centre at Fortingall, which may have had this tree as its focus. The sitewas Christianised during the Dark Ages, with the yew already full grown, perhaps because itwas already a sacred place. A recollection of 1806 noted that "the boys of the village" haddamaged the yew "kindling their fire of Bealltuinn at its root.""

Legend

According to local legend, Pontius Pilate was born in its shade and played there as a child.


10/39

Fitzroya (tree)Wikipedia.org

Fitzroya is a monotypic genus in the cypress family.

Species

The single living species, Fitzroya cupressoides, is a tall,long-lived conifer native to the Andes mountains ofsouthern Chile and Argentina, where it is an importantmember of the Valdivian temperate rain forests. Thescientific name of the genus honours Robert FitzRoy;common names include alerce ("larch", Spanish), lahun(Spanish, from Mapuche Native American name lawal), andPatagonian Cypress.

Description

Fitzroya cupressoides is a very large evergreen tree, thelargest tree species in South America, normally growing to

4060 m (131196 ft; but occasionally more than 70 m inArgentina) tall and up to 5 m in trunk diameter. Much larger specimens existed in the pastbefore the species was heavily logged in the 19th and 20th centuries; Charles Darwin reportedfinding a specimen 12.6 m (41' 6") in diameter. The leaves are in decussate whorls of three,36 mm long (to 8 mm long on seedlings) and 2 mm broad, marked with two white stomatallines. The cones are globose, 68 mm diameter, opening flat to 12 mm across, with ninescales in three whorls of three. Only the central whorl of scales is fertile, bearing 2-3 seeds oneach scale; the lower and upper whorls are small and sterile. The seeds are 23 mm long andflat, with a wing along each side. The seeds mature 68 months after pollination.

The largest known living Fitzroya cupressoides is Alerce Milenario in Alerce CosteroNational Park, Chile. It is more than 60 m tall, with a trunk diameter of 4.26 m. It is possiblethat larger trees of this species exist.

In 1993 a specimen from Chile was found to be 3622 years old, making it the second oldestfully verified (by counting growth rings) age for any living tree species, after the Great BasinBristlecone Pine.

A team of researchers from the University of Tasmania found fossilized foliage of Fitzroya onthe Lea River of northwest Tasmania. The 35 million year-old fossil has been given the speciesname Fitzroya tasmanensis. The finding demonstrates the ancient floristic affinities betweenAustralasia and southern South America, which botanists identify as the Antarctic flora.


11/39

Great sugi of Kayano (tree)Wikipedia.org

Great sugi (right)

The great sugi of Kayano is a Cryptomeria

(Sugi) tree at Yamanaka Onsen in Kaga,Ishikawa Prefecture, Japan. One of the fourtrees believed to be sacred in the precincts ofthe Sugawara Shrine, it has received thedistinction of designation as a Special NaturalMonument from the Agency for Cultural Affairsof Japan.

The tree stands 54.8 m tall. At the base, itmeasures 11.5 m in circumference and 3.41 macross. At chest height, it is 9.6 m around and3.0 m across. The tree splits into two trunks

4.9 m above ground level. In 1928, Professor Miyoshi Manabu of Tokyo Imperial Universityestimated the age of the tree to be 2,300 years.

The other three are 8.8 m, 6.65 m and 7.8 m at chest height and natural monument ofIshikawa Prefecture.

Jmon period artifacts unearthed near the shrine establish that human habitation predatesrecorded history. Warriors including members of the Taira, Minamoto, Asakura, and theTogashi clan are said to have come to the shrine. In 1947, on the occasion of the secondNational Sports Festival of Japan (held in Ishikawa Prefecture), Emperor Shwa (then knownas Hirohito) visited the great sugi.


12/39

Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi (tree)Wikipedia.org

Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi (Sinhala:) is a Sacred Fig treein Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka. It is

said to be the southern branchfrom the historical Bodhi tree SriMaha Bodhi at Bodh Gaya in Indiaunder which Lord Buddha attainedEnlightenment. It was planted in288 BC, and is the oldest livinghuman-planted tree in theworld with a known planting date.Today it is one of the most sacredrelics of the Buddhists in SriLanka and respected by Buddhistsall over the world.

The other fig trees that surround

the sacred tree protect it fromstorms and animals such asmonkeys, bats, etc.

History

In the 3rd century BC, it was brought to Sri Lanka by Sangamitta (Pali; Skt.: Sanghamitra)Thera, the daughter of Emperor Asoka and founder of an order of Buddhist nuns in Sri Lanka.In 288 BC it was planted by King Devanampiya Tissa on a high terrace about 6.5 m (21.3 ft)above the ground in the Mahamevnwa Park in Anuradhapura and surrounded by railings.

Contributions

Several ancient kings have contributed in developing this religious site. King Vasabha (65 -

107 AD) has placed four Buddha statues in four side of the sacred tree. King Voharika Tissa(214 - 236 AD) added metallic statues. King Mahanaga (569 - 571 AD) constructed a watercanal around the sacred tree and King Sena II (846 - 866 AD) renovated it.

The present wall was constructed by Ilupandeniye Athtadassi Thero during the reign of KingKirti Sri Rajasinha, to protect it from wild elephants which might have damaged the tree. Theheight of the wall is 10 ft (3.0 m); with a diameter of 5 ft (1.5 m); length from north to southis 388 ft (118.3 m) and east to west 274 ft (83.5 m).

First golden fence around the sacred tree was constructed by some Buddhist followers inKandy under the guidance of Yatirawana Narada Thero in 1969. The iron fence below theabove golden fence was created by people of Gonagala under the guidance of YagiralaPannananda Thero. Second golden fence was constructed under the guidance of then PrimeMinister of Sri Lanka, Ranil Wickremasinghe in 2003.

Ancient models

Two statues of Lord Buddha can be seen in the image-house; a stone-standing-statue is in theright side of the stone wall. The cobra-stone is a very rare creation, showing the embossedfigure of cobra. Several monolith heads with plain incisions are in this religious site.


13/39

Discoveries

Ruins of an ancient building called Mayura Pirivena (Mayura Monastery) have been found tothe south-west of the Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi and the ruins of a stupa called Dakkhina Tupa(Southern Monastery) can be seen nearby.

According to the ancient chronicles in Sri Lanka, some walls and terraces had been built

surrounding the sacred tree on some occasions in the past. Mahavamsa states that KingGothabhaya (249 262 AD) had built a rubble wall and Dipavamsa reports about a rock-laidterrace and a lattice wall built by King Kirthi Sri Meghavarna (302 - 330 AD).

The above facts have already been established. While digging the earth for the purpose ofreconstructing the present wall recently, a rubble wall with its foundation created by KingGotabhya and a rock-laid terrace together with a lattice wall constructed by King Kirthi SriMeghavarna were found. These findings were preserved at places where they were and arenow opened to public since January 2010.

Incidents

Two branches of the sacred tree were broken down due to storm in 1907 and 1911. A lunatic cut and fell down a branch in 1929.

Tamil terrorists shot and killed several Buddhists on the upper terrace in 1985 knownas Anuradhapura massacre.


14/39

Lagarostrobos franklinii (tree)Wikipedia.org

Lagarostrobos franklinii is a species of conifer nativeto the wet southwestern corner of Tasmania,Australia; it is the sole species in Lagarostrobos; one

other species L. colensoi formerly included has beentransferred to a new genus Manoao. The genus wasalso formerly included in a broader circumscription ofthe genus Dacrydium.

Lagarostrobos franklinii is often known as the Huonpine or Macquarie pine, although it is actually apodocarp (Podocarpaceae) not a true pine(Pinaceae).

Huon Pine in a Tasmanian botanical garden.

It is a slow growing, but long-lived tree; some livingspecimens of this tree are in excess of 2000 years in

age. It grows to 10 to 20 m tall, exceptionallyreaching 30 m, with arching branches and pendulousbranchlets. The leaves are spirally arranged, very small and scale-like, 1 to 3 mm long,covering the shoots completely. It is dioecious, with male (pollen) and female (seed) cones onseparate plants. The male cones are yellow, 5 to 8 mm long and 1 to 2 mm broad. The matureseed cones are highly modified, berry-like, with 5 to 10 lax, open scales which mature in 68months, with one seed 2 to 2.5 mm long on each scale. Unlike the closely related NewZealand genus Manoao, the scales do not become fleshy and are water-dispersed, not bird-dispersed.

A stand of trees reputed to be in excess of 10,500years in age was recently found in Western Tasmaniaon Mount Read. Each of the trees in this stand is agenetically identical male that has reproduced

vegetatively. Although no single tree in this stand is ofthat age, the stand itself as a single organism hasexisted that long.

Close-up of Huon pine foliage.

The wood was highly prized for its golden yellow colour,fine grain and natural oils that resisted rotting. Thechemical that gives the timber its unique smell andpreservative qualities is methyl eugenol. Heavy loggingof the trees for its timber coupled with the trees' slowgrowth has led to remaining stands being less than 105square kilometres (26,000 acres).

It has been planted in the grounds of Crathes Castle,Aberdeenshire, Scotland and has done well. Twohealthy specimens can also be found at Torosay Castle,Isle of Mull.


15/39

Llangernyw Yew (tree)Wikipedia.org

The Llangernyw Yew is an ancient yew(Taxus baccata) in the churchyard of thevillage of Llangernyw in Conwy County

Borough, Wales. The tree is fragmentedand its core part has been lost, leavingseveral enormous offshoots. The girth ofthe tree at the ground level is 10.75 m.

History

This male yew tree lives in the churchyardof St. Dygain's Church in Llangernywvillage. Although it is very hard to tell theage of yew trees, it is believed to be agedbetween 4,000 years and 5,000 years old,making it one of the oldest individual (non-

clonal colony) living organisms in the world. The tree took root sometime in the prehistoric

Bronze Age and is still a thriving, healthy and growing tree.In the mid-1990s the church oil tank stood in the space between the two trunk fragments;however, this was moved when it was realised that the tree was a living Ancient Monument.When this tank was built a lot of the dead wood was removed from the site which makesageing the tree more difficult for dendrochronologists. In June 2002 the Tree Council, incelebration of the Golden Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II designated the Llangernyw Yew treeone of the Fifty Great British trees in recognition of its place in national heritage.

The churchyard gate holds a certificate from the Yew Tree Campaign in 2002, signed by DavidBellamy certifying that the tree is dated to between 4,000 and 5,000 years old.

Legend of the Angelystor

According to local tradition the church yard of Llangernyw is inhabited by an ancient andmalign spirit known as the "Recording Angel" or Angelystor that has the power to curse. Everyyear at Halloween a booming voice could be heard foretelling the names of parishioners whowere to die the following year. According to tradition a local man, Sin Ap Rhobert, doubtingthe truth of the legend challenged the existence of the spirit one Halloween night only to hearhis own name called out. He died within the year (Welsh Folklore, Rev. Elias Owen, 1896).


16/39


17/39

Populus tremuloides (tree)Wikipedia.org

Populus tremuloides is a deciduous tree native to coolerareas of North America, one of several species referredto by the common name Aspen. It is commonly called

quaking aspen, trembling aspen, American aspen,Quakies, mountain or golden aspen, trembling poplar,white poplar, popple, and even more names. The treeshave tall trunks, up to 25 m (82 ft) tall, with smoothpale bark, scarred with black. The glossy green leaves,dull beneath, become golden to yellow, rarely red, inautumn. The species often propagates through its rootsto form large groves.

The Quaking Aspen is the most widely distributed tree in North America, being found fromCanada to central Mexico. It is the defining species of the aspen parkland biome in the PrairieProvinces of Canada.

Name

The quaking or trembling of the leaves that is referredto in the common names is due to the flexible flattenedpetioles. The specific epithet, tremuloides, meanssimilar to Populus tremula, the European aspen. Somespecies of Populus have petioles flattened partially alongtheir length, while the aspens and some other poplarshave them flattened from side to side along the entirelength of the petiole.

Distribution

The northern limit is determined by its intolerance of permafrost. It occurs across Canada inall provinces and territories, with the possible exception of Nunavut. In the United States, it

can be found as far north as the southern slopes of the Brooks Range in Alaska, and it occursat low elevations as far south as northern Nebraska and central Indiana. In the western UnitedStates, this tree rarely survives at elevations lower than 1,500 feet (460 m) due to the mildwinters experienced below that elevation, and is generally found at 5,00012,000 feet (1,5003,700 m). It grows at high altitudes as far south as Guanajuato, Mexico

Shrub-like dwarf clones exist in marginal environments too cold and dry to be hospitable tofull-size trees, for example at the species' upper elevation limits in the White Mountains.

As all trees in a given clonal colony are considered part of the same organism, one clonalcolony, named Pando, is considered the heaviest and oldest living organism at six millionkilograms and approximately 80,000 years old.


18/39

Yareta (plant)Wikipedia.org

Yareta on slopes of Nevado Coropuna, Peru

Yareta (Azorella compacta, also known as "Llareta" in

Spanish or Azorella yareta in the past) is a tinyflowering plant in the family Apiaceae native to SouthAmerica, occurring in the Puna grasslands of the Andesin Peru, Bolivia, the north of Chile and the west ofArgentina at between 3,200 and 4,500 metres altitude.

Yareta is an evergreen perennial being in leaf all year.The pink or lavender flowers are hermaphrodite (haveboth male and female organs) and are pollinated byinsects. The plant is self-fertile.

The plant prefers light (sandy) and well-drained soils. Itcan grow in nutritionally poor environments, no matter

if the soil is acidic, neutral or basic (alkaline). Yareta is well-adapted to high insolation rates

which are typical of the highlands, and cannot grow inshade. The plant grows in a very compact way in orderto reduce heat losses and very close to ground levelwhere air temperature is one or two degrees Celsiushigher than the mean air temperature, this is due to thelongwave radiation re-radiated by the soil (which isusually dark gray to black in the Puna).

The plant growth rate has been recently estimated atapproximately 1.5 centimeters per year (Kleier andRundel 2004). Many yaretas are over 3,000 yearsold. It is traditionally harvested as fuel, but the slow growth makes that use non sustainable.


19/39

Gaylussacia brachycera (shrub)Wikipedia.org

Gaylussacia brachycera, commonly known as boxhuckleberry or box-leaved whortleberry, is a lowNorth American shrub related to the blueberry and the

other huckleberries. It is easily distinguished from othermembers of its genus by its leaves: they resemble thoseof boxwood (hence its name) and lack the resin glandstypical of huckleberries. Like its relatives, it bears whiteurn-shaped flowers in the early summer, which developto blue, edible berries in late summer. It is mostly foundin Appalachia; many of its stations there were known tonatives, who picked and ate the berries, beforebotanists became aware of them in the 1920s.

A relict species nearly exterminated by the last ice age, box huckleberry is self-sterile, and isfound in isolated colonies which reproduce clonally by extending roots. One colony inPennsylvania was once estimated to be as many as 13,000 years old; more recent estimateshave an upper bound of about 8,000 years, which would make it the oldest woody plant east

of the Rocky Mountains. Another colony in Pennsylvania, about 1,300 years old, has beenprotected by the Hoverter and Sholl Box Huckleberry Natural Area.

Description

Box huckleberry is a low shrub, 6 to 8 inches (150 to 200 mm) tall. Its leaves resemble thoseof boxwood (hence its name). About 1 inch (2.5 cm) long and oval-shaped, they are glossyand minutely toothed, turning red in winter. The evergreen leaves, lacking resin glands, are insharp contrast to other species of Gaylussacia. Box huckleberry flowers in May and June. Theflowers are urn-shaped and white, sometimes tinged with pink. Like other huckleberries, theflowers appear on a raceme springing from the leaf axils. Its fruits, which appear in July andAugust, are blue berries borne on short pedicels.

Distribution and habitat

About 100 separate stations for box huckleberry have been documented in the scientificliterature. By the time of Baird's collection in 1845, the West Virginia stations of the plant hadbeen lost to science, and his Pennsylvania colony was the only one known for some time.Specimens of box huckleberry were subsequently identified in Delaware in 1870, by William M.Canby.

In 1919, Frederick V. Coville called attention to the threatened state of the plant in an articlein Science. While investigating the species for horticultural purposes, he only found twoherbarium specimens, those of Baird and Canby. (Coville apparently did not locate Kinn's WestVirginia specimen, preserved at the Muhlenberg Herbarium.) Upon examination of the NewBloomfield site in 1918, he discovered the entire colony, except for one patch cut off bycultivation, was connected by roots, and that no seedlings were in evidence anywhere aroundthe margins of the colony. Coville concluded that the plant was self-sterile and reproduced by

extending rootstocks. After commercial nurserymen removed a truckload of box huckleberryfrom the New Bloomfield site in 1918, Coville was particularly anxious to preserve the species,as the New Bloomfield site was the only one then thought extant. (It was protected by thestate from 1929, becoming the Hoverter and Sholl Box Huckleberry Natural Area.) However,Edgar T. Wherry was able to locate the Delaware colony, thought lost, in 1919, and sendspecimens for cross-pollination with specimens from the Pennsylvania colony.

This report stimulated considerable interest in the species. Additional colonies were located inPennsylvania and Delaware, one in Maryland, several in Virginia, three in Tennessee (19201930), two in Kentucky (19271932), and many in West Virginia (1921). In summarizing


20/39

these discoveries in 1932, Wherry noted that many of the colonies were already known tolocal residents, who picked the berries for food, under names such as "juniper-berry","ground-huckleberry", and "bear-huckleberry". He called for more intensive effort on the partof the scientific community to make use of such local knowledge in determining plantgeography. More recently, a colony of box huckleberry was discovered in Durham County,North Carolina, the first report from that state, in 2003.

Most of the reported stations for box huckleberry fall within the Appalachian Mountains,ranging from central Pennsylvania in the north to eastern Tennessee in the south. However,the specimens located in Maryland and Delaware were found on the Atlantic Coastal Plain, andthe single North Carolina station is in the Piedmont. Its scattered distribution suggests that thespecies once spread more broadly across North America, but was almost eradicated by glacialadvances, surviving only where it escaped the ice in protected refugia.

Box huckleberry prefers dry, acidic soils, including duff, and partial shade. Locations onwooded slopes tend to face north; however, the New Bloomfield site faces west. At one of theDelaware sites, a small portion of the colony extended to the wet margin of a marsh, but mostwas located on dry, sandy soil upslope.


21/39

Lomatia tasmanica (shrub)Wikipedia.org

King's Lomatia (Lomatia tasmanica) is a Tasmanianshrub from the family Proteaceae. The plant has shiny

green leaves and bears pink flowers, but yields neitherfruit nor seeds. Only one colony of King's Lomatia isknown to be alive in the wild. It is also sometimes called"King's Holly", though it is not a holly.

King's Lomatia is unusual because all of the remainingplants are genetically identical. Because it has three setsof chromosomes (a triploid) and is therefore sterile,reproduction occurs only vegetatively: when a branchfalls, that branch grows new roots, establishing a new

plant that is genetically identical to its parent.

Although all the plants are technically separate in that each has its own root system, they arecollectively considered to be one of the oldest living plant clones. Each plant's life span is

approximately 300 years, but the plant has been cloning itself for at least 43,600 years(possibly up to 135,000 years). This estimate is based on the radiocarbon dating of fossilisedleaf fragments that were found 8.5 km away. The fossilised fragments are identical to thecontemporary plant in cell structure and shape, which indicates that both plants are triploidand therefore clones due to the extreme rarity of the occurrence of triploidy.


22/39

King Clone (bush)Wikipedia.org

King Clone is thought to be the oldest Creosote bushring in the Mojave Desert. The ring is estimated to be11,700 years old. It is considered one of the oldest

living organisms on Earth. This single clonal colony plantof Larrea tridentata reaches up to 67 feet (20 m) indiameter, with an average diameter of 45 feet (14 m).

Geography

The King Clone ring is on restricted-access public land inthe central Mojave Desert, approximately 0.6 milesnorth of California Route 247 on Bessemer Mine Road

near the towns of Lucerne Valley and Landers. It is within the Creosote Rings Preserve of theLucerne Valley and Johnson Valley.

Dating methodology

King Clone was identified and the 11,700 years old age documented by Frank Vasek, aprofessor at the University of California, Riverside. After Vasek hypothesized that the creosotering was in fact one organism, Leonel Sternberg (then a graduate student working in Vasek'slab), was able to show that plants in a ring had some identical characteristics, but thoseshared characteristics differed from other plant clusters. Vasek then used two methods todetermine the age of the ring. One method counted rings and measured the distance of annualgrowth, and the other used radiocarbon dating on chunks of wood found in the center of thering, and measuring their distance from each other and the living bushes. Both datingmethods yielded the same result.


23/39

Armillaria solidipes (fungus)Wikipedia.org

Armillaria solidipes (formerly Armillaria ostoyae) is aspecies of fungus in the Physalacriaceae family. It is themost common variant in the western U.S., of the group

of species that all used to share the name Armillariamellea. Armillaria solidipes is quite common on bothhardwood and conifer wood in forests west of theCascade crest. The mycelium attacks the sapwood andis able to travel great distances under the bark orbetween trees in the form of black rhizomorphs("shoestrings").

In most areas of North America, Armillaria solidipes canbe separated from other species by its physical features. Its brown colors, fairly prominentscales featured on its cap, and the well-developed ring on its stem sets it apart from anyArmillaria. (Herink, 1973)

It is known to be one of the largest living organisms,

where scientists have estimated a single specimenfound in Malheur National Forest in Oregon to havebeen growing for some 2,400 years, covering 3.4square miles (8.4 km) and colloquially named the"Humongous Fungus." Armillaria solidipes grows andspreads primarily underground and the bulk of theorganism lies in the ground, out of sight. Therefore, theorganism is not visible to anyone viewing from thesurface. It is only in the autumn when this organismwill bloom honey mushrooms, visible evidence of theorganism lying beneath. Low competition for land and nutrients have allowed this organism togrow so huge; it possibly covers more geographical area than any other living organism.

Geography

Armillaria solidipes is mostly common in the cooler regions of the northern hemisphere. InNorth America, this fungus can be found on host coniferous trees located in the northwesternforests of the continent in British Columbia and the Pacific Northwest. While Armillariasolidipes is distributed throughout the different biogeoclimatic zones of British Columbia, theroot disease causes the greatest amount of problem in the interior parts of the region in theInterior Cedar Hemlock (ICH) biogeoclimatic zone. It is both present in the interior where it ismore common as well as along the coastal lines.

A mushroom of this type in the Malheur National Forest in the Strawberry Mountains ofeastern Oregon, U.S. was found to be the largest fungal colony in the world, spanning 8.9square kilometres (2,200 acres) of area. This organism is estimated to be 2,400 years old. Thefungus was written about in the April 2003 issue of the Canadian Journal of Forest Research.While an accurate estimate has not been made, the total mass of the colony may be as much

as 605 tons. If this colony is considered a single organism, then it is the largest knownorganism in the world by area, and rivals the aspen grove "Pando" as the known organismwith the highest living biomass. In 1992, a relative of the Strawberry Mountains clone wasdiscovered in southwest Washington state. It covers about 6 square kilometres (1,500 acres).Another "humongous fungus" is a specimen of Armillaria gallica found at a site near CrystalFalls, Michigan, which covered 0.15 square kilometres (37 acres).


24/39

Black coralWikipedia.org

Black corals (Antipatharia) are a group of deep water,tree-like corals related to sea anemones. They are alsofound in rare dark shallow water areas such as New

Zealand's Milford Sound where they can be viewedfrom an underwater observatory. They normally occurin the tropics. There are about 230 known species ofAntipatharians in 42 genera.

Though black coral's living tissue is brilliantly colored, ittakes its name from the distinctive black or dark browncolor of its skeleton. Also unique to black coral are thetiny spines that cover the surface of the skeleton, theorigin of the nickname little thorn coral. In theHawaiian language, black coral is called kaha kmoana and is the official state gem of Hawaii. Blackcoral is listed in Appendix II of the Convention onInternational Trade in Endangered Species (CITES).

Lifespan

In March 2009, scientists released the results of their research on deep-sea (depths of ~300to 3,000 m) corals throughout the world. They discovered specimens of Leiopathes to beamong the oldest continuously living organismson the planet: around 4,265 years old.They show that the "radial growth rates are as low as 4 to 35 micrometers per year and thatindividual colony longevities are on the order of thousands of years".


25/39

Giant barrel spongeWikipedia.org

Xestospongia muta, commonly known as the giantbarrel sponge, is one of the largest species of

sponge found in the Caribbean. It grows at depthsof 10 metres (33 ft) or more and it grows between60 cm and 1.8 m. It is brown-grey to reddish incolor, with a hard or stony texture. There is littlescientific information about the species, although ithas been monitored since 1997.

X. muta has been called the "redwood of the reef"due to its up to 2000 year lifespanas well as itssize and color.


26/39

Arctica islandica (clam)Wikipedia.org

Ocean quahog (Arctica islandica) is a species of edibleclam, a marine bivalve mollusk in the family Arcticidae.This species is native to the North Atlantic Ocean, and it

is harvested commercially as a food source. This speciesis also known by a number of different common names,including Icelandic cyprine, mahogany clam, mahoganyquahog, black quahog, and black clam.

The typical Arctica islandica resembles the quahog, butthe shell of the ocean quahog is rounder, theperiostracum is usually black, and on the interior of theshell, the pallial line has no indentation, or sinus. Unlikethe quahog, which lives intertidally and can be collected

by clam digging, this species lives subtidally, and can only be collected by dredging. Theygrow to sizes exceeding 50 mm shell height.

These animals show exceptional longevity with a maximum reported age of 507 years. In

1868 one specimen, collected alive near Iceland, was 374 years old. The study of its growthrate and the oxygen isotope data showed that it had a highly variable growth at the peak ofthe Little Ice Age around 15501620 and mild climate near its end around 17651780 and hadrecorded the volcanic eruption of Mount Tambora in 1815. One study found that in animalsaged 4192 years, antioxidant enzymes declined rapidly in the first 25 years, which includesthe growth and sexual maturity stages, but afterwards remained stable for over 150 years.Though more detailed studies are warranted, it appears this species is a case of negligiblesenescence.


27/39

Turritopsis nutricula (jellyfish)Wikipedia.org

Turritopsis nutricula, the immortal jellyfish, is a hydrozoan whose medusa, or jellyfish, formcan revert to the polyp stage after becoming sexually mature. It is the only known case of ananimal capable of reverting completely to a sexually immature, colonial stage after having

reached sexual maturity as a solitary stage. It does this through the cell development processof transdifferentiation.

Cell transdifferentiation is when the jellyfish "alters the differentiated state of the cell andtransforms it into a new cell". In this process the medusa of the immortal jellyfish istransformed into the polyps of a new polyp colony. First, the umbrella reverts itself and thenthe tentacles and mesoglea get resorbed. The reverted medusa then attaches itself to thesubstrate by the end that had been at the opposite end of the umbrella and starts giving riseto new polyps to form the new colony.

Theoretically, this process can go on indefinitely, effectively rendering the jellyfish biologicallyimmortal, although, in nature, most Turritopsis, like other medusae, are likely to succumb topredation or disease in the plankton stage, without reverting to the polyp form. No singlespecimen has been observed for any extended period, so it is not currently possible to

estimate the age of an individual, and so even if this species has the potential for immortality,there is no laboratory evidence of many generations surviving from any individual.

Description

The medusa of Turritopsis nutricula is bell-shaped, with a maximum diameter of about 4.5millimetres (0.18 in) and is about as tall as it is wide. The jelly in the walls of the bell isuniformly thin, except for some thickening at the apex. The relatively large stomach is brightred and has a cruciform shape in cross section. Young specimens 1 mm in diameter have onlyeight tentacles evenly spaced out along the edge, while adult specimens have 80-90 tentacles.The medusa (jellyfish) is free-living in the plankton.

Turritopsis nutricula also has a bottom-living polyp form, or hydroid, which consists of stolonsthat run along the substrate, and upright branches with feeding polyps that can produce

medusa buds. These polyps develop over a few days into tiny 1 mm medusae, which areliberated and swim free from the parent hydroid colony.

Images of both the medusa and polyp of the closely related species Turritopsis rubra fromNew Zealand can be found online. Until a recent genetic study, it was thought that Turritopsisrubra and Turritopsis nutricula were the same. It is not known whether or not T. rubramedusae can also transform back into polyps.

Distribution and range

Turritopsis is believed to have originated in the Caribbean but has spread all over the world,and has speciated into several populations that are easy to distinguish morphologically, butwhose species distinctions have recently been verified by a study and comparison ofmitochondrial ribosomal gene sequences. Turritopsis are found in temperate to tropical regions

in all of the world's oceans. Turritopsis is believed to be spreading across the world as shipsare discharging ballast water in ports. Since the species is immortal, the number of individualscould be rising fast. "We are looking at a worldwide silent invasion", said Smithsonian TropicalMarine Institute scientist Dr Maria Pia Miglietta.


28/39

Life cycle

The eggs develop in gonads of female medusae, which are located in the walls of themanubrium (stomach). Mature eggs are presumably spawned and fertilized in the sea bysperm produced and released by male medusae, as is the case for most hydromedusae,although the related species Turritopsis rubra seems to retain fertilized eggs until the planula

stage. Fertilized eggs develop into planula larvae, which settle onto the sea floor (or even therich marine communities that live on floating docks), and develop into polyp colonies(hydroids). The hydroids bud new jellyfishes, which are released at about 1 mm in size andthen grow and feed in the plankton, becoming sexually mature after a few weeks (the exactduration depends on the ocean temperature; at 20 C (68 F) it is 25 to 30 days and at 22 C(72 F) it is 18 to 22 days).

Biological immortality

Most jellyfish species have a relatively fixed life span, which varies by species from hours tomany months (long-lived mature jellyfish spawn every day or night; the time is also fairlyfixed and species-specific). The medusa of Turritopsis nutricula is the only form known to havedeveloped the ability to return to a polyp state, by a specific transformation process thatrequires the presence of certain cell types (tissue from both the jellyfish bell surface and the

circulatory canal system). Careful laboratory experiments have revealed that all stages of themedusae, from newly released to fully mature individuals, can transform back into polyps. Thetransforming medusa is characterized first by deterioration of the bell and tentacles, withsubsequent growth of a perisarc sheet and stolons, and finally feeding polyps. Polyps furthermultiply by growing additional stolons, branches and then polyps, to form colonial hydroids.This ability to reverse the life cycle (in response to adverse conditions) is probably unique inthe animal kingdom, and allows the jellyfish to bypass death, rendering Turritopsis nutriculapotentially biologically immortal. Studies in the laboratory showed that 100% of specimenscould revert to the polyp stage, but so far the process has not been observed in nature, in partbecause the process is quite rapid and field observations at the right moment in time areunlikely. In spite of this remarkable ability, most Turritopsis medusae are likely to fall victim tothe general hazards of life as plankton, including being eaten by other animals, or succumbingto disease.

Inspiration for humans

The Turritopsis nutricula's cell development method of transdifferentiation has inspiredscientists to find a way to make stem cells use this process for renewing damaged or deadtissue in humans.


29/39


30/39

Hanako (koi)Wikipedia.org

Koi or more specifically nishikigoi (literally "brocaded carp"), are ornamental varieties ofdomesticated common carp (Cyprinus carpio) that are kept for decorative purposes in outdoor

koi ponds or water gardens.

Koi varieties are distinguished by coloration, patterning, and scalation. Some of the majorcolors are white, black, red, yellow, blue, and cream. The most popular category of koi is theGosanke, which is made up of the Kohaku, Taisho Sanshoku, and Showa Sanshoku varieties.

One famous scarlet koi, named "Hanako", was owned by several individuals, the last of whomwas Dr. Komei Koshihara. Hanako was supposedly 226 years oldupon her death in 1977,based on examining one of her scales in 1966. Koi "maximum longevity" is listed as 47 yearsold.

George (lobster)

Wikipedia.orgGeorge (born approximately 1869) was an American lobster owned briefly by the City Craband Seafood restaurant in New York City. Captured in December 2008, he was released backinto the wild in January 2009. George weighed 20 pounds (9.1 kg), and had an estimated ageof 140 years.

Weight and age

George weighed 20 pounds (9.1 kg), and was estimated to be 140 years old, placing his yearof birth around 1869. However, there is no scientific way to accurately determine a lobster'sage. A lobster's age can be estimated based on molting rate and the increase in size after amolt, but it is just through speculation Though some scientists claim that lobsters cannot livefor much longer than 100 years, Valenti claims it is fairly common. PETA did not reveal how

they had calculated the age, but Keith Valenti, the restaurant manager, explained that lobsterage can be estimated by weight, with the weight increasing by around a pound for everyseven to ten years of life. He added that "I've been here for 12 years, and that's the biggestlobster I've ever seen".


31/39

Cookie (cockatoo)Wikipedia.org

SpeciesMajor Mitchell's Cockatoo(Lophochroa leadbeateri)

Oldest Major Mitchell's Cockatoo in captivity

Sex MaleBorn 30 June 1933 (age 80) AustraliaNation from United StatesOwner Brookfield Zoo

Cookie (hatched c. 1933) is a male Major Mitchell's Cockatoo residing at Brookfield Zoo, nearChicago, Illinois, USA. He is believed to be the oldest member of his species alive in captivity,at the age of 80in June 2013, having significantly exceeded the average lifespan for his kindand is one of the longest-lived birds on record. The next-oldest Major Mitchell's Cockatoo to befound in a zoological setting is a 31-year-old female bird located at Paradise Wildlife

Sanctuary, England. Information published by the World Parrot Trust states longevity forCookie's species in captivity at 4060 years.

Cookie was 'retired' from exhibition at the zoo in 2009 (following a few months of weekend-only appearances) in order to preserve his health, after it was noticed by staff that hisappetite, demeanour and stress levels improved markedly when not on public display. He nowlives permanently in the keepers' office of the zoo's Perching Bird House, although it has beenstated that he may still make occasional appearances for special events such as his birthdaycelebration, which is held each June.

Creme Puff (cat)Wikipedia.org

Species Felis catusBorn August 3, 1967 Austin, Texas, USADied August 6, 2005 (aged 38) Austin, Texas, USAOwner Jake Perry

Creme Puff (August 3, 1967 August 6, 2005), was a female cat who died at age 38 yearsand 3 days. She was the oldest cat ever recorded, according to the 2010 edition of GuinnessWorld Records.

Creme Puff and Jake Perry's other long-lived cat

Creme Puff lived with her owner, Jake Perry, in Austin, Texas. Perry also owned Granpa RexsAllen, who was claimed to have been born in Paris, in 1964 and died 1998, aged 34 years and

2 months. Granpa was posthumously awarded 1999 Cat of the Year by Cats & Kittensmagazine. Granpa was featured in an earlier edition of Guinness World Records. The co-authors of at least one book have pondered whether the longevity of Perry's cats may havehad something to do with an unusual diet of, among other things, bacon and eggs, asparagus,and broccoli, concluding that Perry "must be doing something right."


32/39

Lin Wang (elephant)Wikipedia.org

Lin Wang and General Sun Li-jen, 1947

Lin Wang (Chinese: ; pinyin: Ln Wng; 1917

February 26, 2003) was an Asian elephant thatserved with the Chinese Expeditionary Forceduring the Second Sino-Japanese War (19371945) and later relocated to Taiwan with theKuomintang forces. Lin Wang lived out most ofhis life in the Taipei Zoo and unquestionably wasthe most popular and famous animal in Taiwan.Many adults and children alike affectionatelycalled the bull elephant "Grandpa Lin Wang."

Sino-Japanese War

After Japan attacked Pearl Harbor in 1941, the Sino-Japanese War, which began in 1937,

became a part of the greater conflict of World War II. When the Japanese proceeded to attackBritish colonies in Burma, Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek formed the "Chinese ExpeditionaryForce" () under the leadership of General Sun Li-jen, to fight in the BurmaCampaign. After a battle at a Japanese camp in 1943, Lin Wang, along with twelve otherelephants, were captured by the Chinese. These elephants were used by the Japanese army totransport supplies and pull artillery pieces. The Allied forces also used these elephants to dosimilar tasks. At this time, Lin Wang was named "Ah Mei" (), meaning "The Beautiful".

In 1945, the Expeditionary Force was recalled back to China. The elephants and their handlersmarched through the Burma Road and six elephants died during the difficult trek. By the timethey arrived in Guangdong, the war ended. However, the elephants' service with the army wasnot over. They participated in building some monuments for the martyrs of the war, and in thespring of 1946, they also performed for a circus to raise money for famine relief in Hunanprovince. Later, four elephants in the group were sent to the zoos of Beijing, Shanghai,

Nanjing and Changsha. The remaining three elephants, including Lin Wang, were relocated toa park in Guangzhou.

In Taiwan

Lin Wang and his army comrades inKaohsiung, Taiwan

In 1947, Sun Li-jen was sent to Taiwan totrain new troops. He took the threeelephants with him, though one sickelephant died during the trip across thestrait. The two remaining elephants wereused to transport logs and accomplish other

simple tasks near the army base inFongshan, Kaohsiung. In 1951 the otherelephant died and Lin Wang became the onlyone left of the original thirteen elephantsfrom the Burmese days.

In 1952, the army decided to give Lin Wang to Taipei Zoo at Yuanshan (), where he methis lifelong mate Malan (). At this time, Lin Wang was still named "Ah Mei" and the keeperof the zoo felt that the name was too feminine. Thus, his name was changed to "King of theForest" (), abbreviated "Ln Wng" (). However, a reporter misheard the name and


33/39

published his name as Ln Wng (, different character and different intonation), and thisname stuck forever.

Lin Wang became the most famous and popular animal in Taiwan, and in 1983 the zoo threwthe first birthday party for his sixty-sixth birthday. Since then, his birthday was celebratedevery year on the last Sunday of October at the zoo, attracting thousands of visitors, includingvisitations from Taipei mayors. In 1986, the zoo relocated from Yuanshan to Mucha (), and

many Taipei citizens crowded along the streets to see the animals, particularly Lin Wang's,"house moving." ()

In early 2003 Lin Wang suffered arthritis on his left hind leg. He started to lose appetite alongwith other complications, his condition started to go down hill rapidly and on February 26, LinWang died.

His "memorial service," which lasted several weeks, was visited by tens of thousands ofpeople, many of whom left cards and flowers for the elephant. Lin Wang was posthumouslyawarded "Honorary Taipei Citizen" by Taipei mayor Ma Ying-jeou. President Chen Shui-biansent a wreath, with a card addressing "to our forever friend, Lin Wang."

Legacy

Compared to the average life expectancy of 70 for a typical Asian elephant, Lin Wang livedmuch longer and died at the age of 86. He is the longest-living elephant in captivity,surpassing Lakshmikutty from India who reached the age of 84before she died in 1997.

In addition to his service to the army, Lin Wang also became a cultural icon and aninseparable part in the memories of many. His life mirrored important events in history, suchas the wars in China and later the economic miracle of Taiwan, and three generations ofpeople remember him fondly as a part of national identity. In 2004 Lin Wang wasimmortalized in a life-size specimen in Taipei Zoo.


34/39

Andean Condor (vulture)Wikipedia.org

The Andean Condor (Vultur gryphus) is a species ofSouth American bird in the New World vulture familyCathartidae and is the only member of the genus Vultur.

Found in the Andes mountains and adjacent Pacificcoasts of western South America, the Andean Condorhas a wingspan of up to 3.2 m/10.5 ft but is exceededby the Wandering Albatross (at up to 3.6 m/12 ft) theSouthern Royal Albatross the Dalmatian and the GreatWhite Pelicans (at reportedly up to 3.5 m/11.6 ft).

It is a large black vulture with a ruff of white featherssurrounding the base of the neck and, especially in themale, large white patches on the wings. The head andneck are nearly featherless, and are a dull red color,which may flush and therefore change color in responseto the bird's emotional state. In the male, there is awattle on the neck and a large, dark red comb or

caruncle on the crown of the head. Unlike most birds ofprey, the male is larger than the female.

The condor is primarily a scavenger, feeding on carrion. It prefers large carcasses, such asthose of deer or cattle. It reaches sexual maturity at five or six years of age and nests atelevations of up to 5,000 m (16,000 ft), generally on inaccessible rock ledges. One or twoeggs are usually laid. It is one of the world's longest-living birds, with a lifespan of up to 100years oldin captivity.

The Andean Condor is a national symbol of Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, andPeru and plays an important role in the folklore and mythology of the Andean regions. TheAndean Condor is considered near threatened by the IUCN. It is threatened by habitat lossand by secondary poisoning from carcasses killed by hunters. Captive breeding programs havebeen instituted in several countries.

Longevity

Being a slowly-maturing bird with no known natural predators in adulthood, an Andean Condoris quite a long-lived bird. Longevity and mortality rates are not known to have beenextensively studied in the wild. Some estimations of lifespans of wild birds has exceeded 50years. In 1983, the Guinness Book of World Recordsconsidered the longest-lived bird of anyspecies with a confirmed lifespan was an Andean Condor that died after surviving 72 years incaptivity, having been captured from the wild as a juvenile of undetermined age. Severalspecies of parrot have been reported to live for perhaps over 100 years, but these (at least in1983) were not considered authenticated. Another early captive-held specimen of condorreportedly lived for 71 years. However, these lifespans have been exceeded by a male,nicknamed "Thaao", that was kept Beardsley Zoo in Connecticut. Thaao was born in captivityin 1930 and died on January 26, 2010, making him 79 years of age. This would be the

greatest verified age ever known for a bird.


35/39


36/39

Gigantism

The discoverer of the Galpagos Islands, Fray Toms de Berlanga, Bishop of Panama, wrote in1535 of "such big tortoises that each could carry a man on top of himself." Naturalist CharlesDarwin remarked after his trip three centuries later in 1835, "These animals grow to animmense size ... several so large that it required six or eight men to lift them from theground". The largest recorded individuals have reached weights of over 400 kilograms (880 lb)

and lengths of 1.87 meters (6.1 ft). The tortoises' gigantism was probably a preadaptedcondition for successful colonisation of these remote oceanic islands rather than an example ofevolved insular gigantism. Large tortoiseswould have a greater chance of surviving thejourney over water from the mainland as theycan hold their heads a greater height abovethe water level and have a smaller surfacearea/volume ratio, which reduces osmoticwater loss. Their significant water and fatreserves would allow the tortoises to survivelong ocean crossings without food or freshwater, and to endure the drought-proneclimate of the islands. A larger size allowedthem to better tolerate extremes of

temperature due to gigantothermy. Fossil gianttortoises from mainland South America havebeen described that support this hypothesis ofpreadapted gigantism.

Life expectancy in the wild is thought to be over 100 years, making it one of the longest livedspecies in the animal kingdom. Harriet, a specimen kept in Australia Zoo, was the oldestknown Galpagos tortoise, having reached an estimated age of more than 170 yearsbefore her death in 2006. Chambers notes that Harriet was probably 169 years old in 2004,although media outlets claimed the greater age of 175 at death based on a less reliabletimeline.


37/39

Aldabra giant tortoiseWikipedia.org

The Aldabra giant tortoise (Aldabrachelys gigantea),from the islands of the Aldabra Atoll in the Seychelles, isone of the largest tortoises in the world. This species is

widely referred to as Aldabrachelys gigantea, but hasalso been placed in the genus Dipsochelys asDipsochelys dussumieri.

Child riding an Aldabra giant tortoise at the Mt. KenyaWildlife Conservancy

Anatomy and morphology

The carapace is a brown or tan color with a high, domed shape. It has stocky, heavily scaledlegs to support its heavy body. The neck of the Aldabra giant tortoise is very long, even for itsgreat size, which helps the animal to exploit tree branches up to a meter from the ground as afood source.

Similar in size to the famous Galpagos giant tortoise, its carapace averages 120 centimetres(47 in) in length. The average weight of a male is around 250 kg (550 lb). Females aregenerally smaller than males, with average specimens measuring 90 cm (35 in) in length andweighing 150 kg (330 lb).

Range and distribution

The main population of the Aldabra giant tortoise resides on the islands of the Aldabra Atoll inthe Seychelles. The atoll has been protected from human influence and is home to some100,000 giant tortoises, the world's largest population of the animal. Another isolatedpopulation of the species resides on the island of Changuu, near Zanzibar and other captivepopulations exist in conservation parks in Mauritius and Rodrigues. The tortoises exploit manydifferent kinds of habitat, including grasslands, low scrub, mangrove swamps, and coastaldunes.

Life historyEsmeralda, the world's oldest living giant tortoise, BirdIsland, Seychelles

Large tortoises are among the longest-lived animals onthe planet. Some individual Aldabra giant tortoises arethought to be over 200 years of age, but this isdifficult to verify because they tend to outlive theirhuman observers.

Adwaita was reputedly one of four brought by Britishseamen from the Seychelles Islands as gifts to RobertClive of the British East India Company in the 18th

century, and came to Calcutta Zoo in 1875. At his death in March 2006 at the Kolkata(formerly Calcutta) Zoo in India, Adwaita is reputed to have reached the longest evermeasured life span of 255 years(birth year 1750). Adwaita's age was determined by carbondating his shell, making his age to be around 255 in 2006. Today, Esmeralda is thought to bethe oldest living giant tortoise at 170 years old, since the death of Harriet at 176, aGalapagos giant tortoise. Esmeralda is an Aldabra giant tortoise.


38/39


39/39

man and mystery vol 15 - near immortals [rev06]

Documents