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It is an animal that can live for 500 years. The ocean quahog (Arctica islandica) is a clam native to the North Atlantic that exemplifies the slogan “Take it easy and live longer.”

The ocean quahogs living in deep, cold waters farther north live the longest, and those in the southern areas tend to have much shorter lives. Since these mollusks add one growth line to their shells each year, it is possible to determine their age by counting the lines. The oldest reported specimen found in 2006 was 507 years old. That means this clam began its life shortly after Columbus discovered the Americas. Who knows how much longer it might have lived if it had escaped capture.

Ocean quahogs and a few other animals, such as tortoises, have a quality that scientists call “negligible senescence.” What that means is they do not show signs of aging. Scientists are still trying to discover the factors that allow some animals to live long lives without apparent aging. We suggest that one factor is obvious. “Take it easy and live longer” is demonstrated by the long-lived creatures with an unhurried and unstressed lifestyle. Perhaps we can learn something from that. The Creator had a reason to tell us to set aside a time for rest.

Picture credits:
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/48/Arctica_islandica_Islandmuschel.jpg

Scripture links/references are from BibleGateway.com. Unhighlighted scriptures can be looked up at their website.