Worlds largest living creature discovered in Ibiza (sea grass 5 miles long and 100,000 years old)

Ibiza News ^ | 5/27/06

[LibWhacker]

What is the world's largest living creature?

Scientists from the CSIC. the University of the Balearic Islands, Portugal, Carribean and the USA have discovered a Posidonia Oceanica, of more than 8 kilometers in length, and 100,000 years old.

The 'Posideonia Oceanica' is, in layman's terms 'sea grass', and the wavy plains of this plant found off the coasts Ibiza and Formentera, have been, since 1999, part of the reason for the award to Ibiza as a 'Heritage of Humanity'.

The huge plant was discovered between 'Es Freus' (the straits that separate Ibiza from Formentera) and the 'Ses Salines' beach....and quite by accident, as there are more than 100,000,000 of these plants in the area.

The bad news is that, because of the pollution in the Mediterranean, these plants are disappearing at the rate pf 5% per year.

[hawkaw]

It would be nice to get the link to the article from the University or at least the title of the article.

[From many - one.]

I suspect a bit of fuzzy defining going on with the word "largest" ...most bulk (possibly aspens), most elongated (the sea grass), covering most area (the Honey Mushroom) , and you've got three different largests

[From many - one.]

Actually, I was just clarifying for other folk...if you know about the 36,000, I'd assume you'd know that they were breeding strains.

[Tokra]

World's Largest Creature

World's Oldest Creature

[Xenalyte]

We do! We're gonna have to do a little trimming, though - I don't know if it'll hold five miles of sea grass.

[S0122017]

telling me to not be silly then telling me they just started dying off... makes one wonder how much they really know since it took them this long to find such a large "creature" thats been under their noses for so long.

I shouldn't even respond to that crappy remark but for the sake of us all: Do you think it sane that no matter what scientists do, they are always scolded?

A scientist makes a mistake? All of science gets the blame. A scientist makes a discovery? Science gets scolded for not making the discovery sooner.

If you think you can find and recognize species underwater better than science can, go ahead. Seeing as larger part of the planet is nothing but water, really really deep water, scientists can use all the help they can.

[Echo Talon]

i'd really like to know how they know the age of this "creature"

[S0122017]

i'd really like to know how they know the age of this "creature"

Im pretty sure by measuring it's size. Since they know the average growth rate, they can calculate back.

I can't think of any other reason that a person would be all worked up over the presumed age of seeweed, so im making the wild guess you are a young earth creationist.

Unfortunately for you, at 8000 meters in length, even if the dating was off with a few 10.000's years it's still gonna be way more than 6000. There are physical limitations to how fast seaweed can grow after all.

I can't imagine it growing a meter per year. The growth rate for other members of this species is between 3 to 10 cm per year.

Any way, if it was like a super fast growing mutant, we would find out soon enough cause it would continue to grow 1 meter per year... right?

[Echo Talon]

how large was it when the Lord made it in the first place?

[S0122017]

I don't believe in spontaneous generatus of organisms.
In any case, why would this one be made any larger than the other ones?

[Echo Talon]

If you believe maybe you will ask in due time.

[DannyTN]

That BriansBelly.com link was supposed to be a pic of Andre the Giant.

[DannyTN]

"I can't imagine it growing a meter per year. The growth rate for other members of this species is between 3 to 10 cm per year. "

Bamboo can grow up to 3 feet a day.

It would be nice if they measured it's current growth rate before calculating an age. I bet it's more than "other members of this species". But there's no guarantee that the current growth rate represents this plant's past history either.

[S0122017]

What im saying is that every individual of that species grows at 3-10 cm per year. It would be odd if it grew 100 times faster wouldn't it? It would be like some sort of ultra mutant freak plant which had little in common with it's original species.

[DannyTN]

"It would be odd if it grew 100 times faster wouldn't it?"

It would be odd, yes. But it would also be odd if it really was 100,000 years old. Mutant freaks do occur. This plant can be considered a mutant freak whether it had an abnormally fast growth rate or whether it's lived to an abnormally long age. It's freak either way.

[somniferum]

Placemarker

[blowfish]

I'm really surprised at the increasing anti-science tone on FR. Someone could post an article describing the discovery of a new Zinc deposit and within 20 articles people would be screaming about the unproven 'metal transport in hot fluid' theory and asking for absolute proof that any atoms exceeded 6000 years in age.

Doesn't anyone understand the basics of how science operates anymore? Sheesh...

[Constantine XIII]

You'd know that, because you're a pro at marine biology, right?

At least tell me you stayed at a Holiday Inn Express last night. :P

[Constantine XIII]

Ignignokt: You and your third dimension.
Frylock: What about it?
Ignignokt: Oh, nothing, it's cute. We have five.
Err: ...Th, Thousand.
Ignignokt: Yes, five thousand.
Err: Don't question it!
Frylock: Oh, yeah? Well, I only see two.
Ignignokt: Well, that sounds like a personal problem. (edit)

[aruanan]

"100,000 years old" Uh-huh. Cut one and counted the growth rings, did we? Riiiiiiiight. /sarc Well, since Posidonia Oceanica grows at an average rate of 3 to 10 cm per year, and this one is over 8 kilometers in size, it doesn't take a genius to figure roughly how long this one has been growing, does it?

Given current conditions. But we know that current conditions are just a blip even over the last 100,000 years. Differences in salinity, in water temperature and other factors could have profound effects on growth.