Scientists studying in the North Atlantic may have just found what they believe to be a shark that is 512 years old, making it the oldest vertebrate ever discovered alive.

It would be so old that it would even be older than Shakespeare.

Greenland sharks are known for their longevity and tend to outlive most other species because they are slow growing and mature at a much slower speed.

They don’t typically reach maturity until they are at least 150 years old.

This particular species of sharks have been known to live up to 400 years of age, but up until now, it was hard to measure exactly how old they really were.

Marine biologist Julius Nielsen and his team developed a technique that measure the amount of radiocarbon in the eye lenses of the shark, revealing their true age, although they admit, they still can’t be 100 percent sure it is accurate.

Previously, scientists measured the length of the sharks to determine their age; a method that was very unreliable.

The new method is much more accurate and proves the Greenland shark is one of the oldest living creatures.

Why do the creatures live so long? Researchers still aren’t certain what causes them to live so long and opinions are varied.

One of the theories is that the cold water combined with a slow metabolism could be responsible.

However, further research is still needed to learn more about how the sharks manage to live so long.

Check out the video below to learn more about the Greenland sharks and be sure to share this amazing discovery with your family and friends.