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Jellyfish is world's only "immortal" animal

Posted on Sunday, 21 March, 2010 | 28 comments

A peculiar type of jellyfish native to the Carribean is believed to have a theoretically limitless life span.

The turritopsis nutricula jellyfish is able to cycle from a mature adult back to an immature polyp stage a limitless number of times meaning that it appears to be impossible for it to die of old age.

Since it is capable of cycling from a mature adult stage to an immature polyp stage and back again, there may be no natural limit to its life span. Scientists say the hydrozoan jellyfish is the only known animal that can repeatedly turn back the hands of time and revert to its polyp state (its first stage of life).

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Source: Yahoo! News

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Recent comments on this story

#24 Posted by danielost on 22 March, 2010, 0:12
i am sure that like everything else this still wears out.

#25 Posted by cluey on 22 March, 2010, 0:57
That is really cool...........

#26 Posted by Crow Woman on 22 March, 2010, 1:24
If we were able to do this, regenerate like this animal I mean, then would we also be making our brains grow back as an infant brain, right? If this were the case, even if we were to live practically forever, would we forget everything? It is very intriguing that this jellyfish can live forever, b...

#27 Posted by Ashiene on 22 March, 2010, 12:39
This is reason enough that humans should never discover its secret of unlimited transdifferentiation. I certainly would not want an uncontrolled human population spreading its filth across this universe.

#28 Posted by 1963 on 24 March, 2010, 1:20
If that's your passport photo Mutationman?...Then it would be an improvement!!!!..HA! HA! Just kidding!

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