A recently identified 512-year-old Greenland shark may be the world's oldest living vertebrate. Although scientists discovered the 18-foot fish in the North Atlantic months ago, its age was only recently revealed in a study published in the journal Science.

To determine the shark's age, scientists used a mathematical model that analyzes the lens and cornea of a shark's eye and links size of the shark to its age. Greenland sharks grow at a rate of about 1 centimeter per year, which allowed scientists to estimate a particular shark's age.