Scientists have dredged up the oldest known living creature and have called it Ming.
According to reports, the 405-year-old clam (for it is that kind of mollusc) has not been named for the ex-leader of the Liberal Democrats, but for the Ming Dynasty which ruled China when it was young. The clam is so old that during its youth Queen Elizabeth I was on the throne and Shakespeare was penning his famous works.
The ocean quahog clam was dredged up off the coast of Iceland, and researchers calculated its age by counting the rings on its shell.
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Sadly, since being discovered by science, Ming has popped its clogs. We can conclude from this that to live a long and healthy life, it would be advisable for a person to avoid being sliced in two by someone intent on counting one's rings.
I think there's a Clams Casino joke in here somewhere but out of respect for Ming, I'm clamming up.