Wisdom The Albatross - A New Mom At 62 Years Old

  • Thread starter Thread starter lisab
  • Start date Start date
  • Tags Tags
    Years
AI Thread Summary
A 62-year-old Laysan albatross named Wisdom has made headlines by giving birth to a healthy chick, challenging the belief about the fertility lifespan of birds. Wisdom, who has outlived the average lifespan of her species, has flown approximately 3 million miles since being tagged by scientists. Her remarkable survival, including enduring a tsunami, adds to her story, making her a notable figure in wildlife conservation discussions. The event raises questions about the reproductive capabilities of older birds and highlights the resilience of wildlife.
lisab
Staff Emeritus
Science Advisor
Gold Member
Messages
2,026
Reaction score
623
The world’s oldest known living wild bird at age 62 gave birth to a healthy chick that hatched Sunday, challenging the conventional wisdom about how long birds remain fertile.

This bird, named Wisdom by scientists who stuck a tag on her ankle years ago, has lived longer than the average Laysan albatross, which dies at less than half her age.

http://seattletimes.com/html/nationworld/2020294573_albatrosseggxml.html

Hmmm...a mom at 62. Not sure how wise that is.

She was in the news a few years ago for surviving a tsunami:

http://news.discovery.com/animals/the-rime-of-the-ancient-albatross-110310.htm

She's now my favorite Albatross :!).
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Biology news on Phys.org
I wonder how old that is in human years? I'm happy for her. She's flown 3 million miles since she was first tagged? Wow.
 

Thread 'Flesh-eating New World Screwworm re-occurrence in US'

Deadly cattle screwworm parasite found in US patient. What to know. https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/health/2025/08/25/new-world-screwworm-human-case/85813010007/ Exclusive: U.S. confirms nation's first travel-associated human screwworm case connected to Central American outbreak https://www.reuters.com/business/environment/us-confirms-nations-first-travel-associated-human-screwworm-case-connected-2025-08-25/...
View full post »

Thread 'Chagas disease now established in US'

Chagas disease, long considered only a threat abroad, is established in California and the Southern U.S. According to articles in the Los Angeles Times, "Chagas disease, long considered only a threat abroad, is established in California and the Southern U.S.", and "Kissing bugs bring deadly disease to California". LA Times requires a subscription. Related article -...
View full post »

Thread 'I need help understanding this quote about recent Natural Selection'

I am reading Nicholas Wade's book A Troublesome Inheritance. Please let's not make this thread a critique about the merits or demerits of the book. This thread is my attempt to understanding the evidence that Natural Selection in the human genome was recent and regional. On Page 103 of A Troublesome Inheritance, Wade writes the following: "The regional nature of selection was first made evident in a genomewide scan undertaken by Jonathan Pritchard, a population geneticist at the...
View full post »

Similar threads

Is there a limit to Human Lifespans?
Replies
4
Views
5K
Old Farts: Share Your Experiences Here
2
Replies
88
Views
8K
Meet Evo: Biweekly Series on Mentors & Regenerative Medicine Advances
2
Replies
64
Views
17K

Hot Threads

Recent Insights

Back
Top