Southern right whales can live to be more than 130 years old — which is decades longer than previously thought, according to new research.
The marine animals, a type of baleen whale found in the southern hemisphere, have the gift of “extreme longevity,” according to a study published on Dec. 20 in the journal Science Advances and an accompanying news release.
The study holds major implications for the species, which was hunted extensively until the mid-20th century and is now considered endangered.
To reach their conclusion, researchers pored over photo identification data collected over the course of four decades.