Longevity: The Longest-Lived Organisms
Brian Gongol

Lifespans in the thousands of years

Bristlecone pines: Many have lived for more than 4,000 years. One, called the Methuselah Tree, is more than 4,600 years old.

Giant sequoias: Several have been verified at more than 3,000 years of age

Lifespans in the hundreds of years

Sequoias (redwood trees): Commonly live 600 years; some have lived 2,200 years and longer

Greenland sharks: Estimated at 300 to 500 years

Iceland clams: Measured at more than 400 years

Bowhead whales: Can live 200 years or more

Longleaf pines: Up to 150 years to reach maturity; can live 300 years

Galapagos tortoises: Can live more than 100 years

Some trees trained as bonsai are reported to have lived for well over 400 years, like a Japanese white pine given as a gift to the United States

Related items of interest

The issue of longevity is studied as senescence

A roster of trees with extraordinary longevity suggests that many species are capable of living for many hundreds of years