SCIENCE said:
The Rev Dodgson said:
of the Greenland Shark
“Greenland sharks have the longest lifespan of any known vertebrate, estimated to be between 272 and 512 years. They are among the largest extant shark species, reaching a maximum confirmed length of 6.4 m (21 ft) and weighing more than 1,000 kg (2,200 lb). They reach sexual maturity around 150 years of age and their pups are born alive after an estimated gestation period of 8 to 18 years.”
How could something like that evolve by natural selection?
it can’t, it’s deity
The selection pressures that determine the reproductive strategy, and therefore much of the life history, of an organism can be understood in terms of r/K selection theory. The central trade-off to life history theory is the number of offspring vs. the timing of reproduction. Organisms that are r-selected have a high growth rate ® and tend to produce a high number of offspring with minimal parental care; their lifespans also tend to be shorter. r-selected organisms are suited to life in an unstable environment, because they reproduce early and abundantly and allow for a low survival rate of offspring. K-selected organisms subsist near the carrying capacity of their environment (K), produce a relatively low number of offspring over a longer span of time, and have high parental investment. They are more suited to life in a stable environment in which they can rely on a long lifespan and a low mortality rate that will allow them to reproduce multiple times with a high offspring survival rate….
K-selected organisms usually:
-mature more slowly and have a later age of first reproduction
-have a longer lifespan
-have few offspring at a time and more reproductive events spread out over a longer span of time
-have a low mortality rate and a high offspring survival rate
-have high parental investment
Also see r/K selection theory