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Coral genotypes can survive for thousands of years, possibly making them the longest-lived animals in the world, according to new, National Science Foundation-funded research at Penn State. The team recently determined the ages of elkhorn corals (Acropora palmate) in Florida and the Caribbean and estimated the oldest genotypes to be over 5,000 years old.
The results are useful for understanding how corals will respond to current and future environmental change.Image credit: William Precht/Dial Cordy & Associates, Inc.
