Ming is an Ocean Quahog clam with the scientific name of Arctica islandica. It was nicknamed Ming when scientists discovered that it would have been born in 1499 during the Ming Dynasty of China. Ocean Quahogs grow up to 13 cm long and the oldest one fished off the coast of Iceland was 507 years old, making it the oldest non-colonial animal known to science.
Where do Ocean Quahogs live?
Ocean Quahogs belong to a big group of shells called ‘bivalves’. Most bivalves are filter feeders and suck in water through their tube-like siphons (you can see in the photo, the two holes surrounded by darker pink). While lying on the seabed or buried in the sand or mud bivalves can safely take food particles and oxygen from the water.
Ming was collected from the deep waters around Iceland but we get this species in British and Irish waters too, although it does not live to such a great age here. The waters surrounding our islands are warmer than those surrounding Iceland, which is just south of the Arctic Circle. Warm waters hold less dissolved oxygen than cold water and so around the UK the Ocean Quahog needs to work harder to get oxygen and so has a faster metabolism. A faster metabolism means that it grows quicker but when animals have a fast metabolism they do not live as long. In the colder waters surrounding Iceland the Ocean Quahog has a slower metabolism and so grows slowly and may even live for longer than 507 – scientists just haven’t found an older one yet!
How long do animals live?
Some other bivalve molluscs can live for a long time as well. Giant clams can grow to 4 feet long (1.2 m) and live for around 100 years. They have tiny plant cells in their tissue that photosynthesize producing energy from the sun to give to the clam. This is why they reach such a large size – talk about plant power!
The Geoduck, which lives in the coastal waters of western Canada and USA, can live for 164 years. It is known as Gooey duck and has large meaty siphons that are a popular food for humans!
Come to our Insight gallery at Amgueddfa Genedlaethol Caerdydd - National Museum Cardiff to to find out more about how long animals can live for and much more...
An introduction to Ming the clam can be found here:
We have just launched our self-guided mindful tour here at St Fagans National Museum of History. The tour is through the gardens around St Fagans Castle. Our new free fold-out map of the gardens encourages visitors to take in their surroundings and explore their different senses.
The idea of the tour came from my own experience of using mindfulness for my mental health. St Fagans Castle gardens are beautiful all year round with animals and plants to see whatever the time of year. It is also a place where you can usually find a bit of quiet even during our busier times. Mindfulness is about being in the moment and focusing on individual senses. It’s surprising how much passes us by when we’re focused on our busy lives. Just stopping and concentrating on what you can smell or hear can help in times of stress.
Having the opportunity to walk around the gardens and take in the sights, sounds, smells and textures of nature has been very calming for me. My particular favourite is the Italian Garden in the summer with the running fountain. I feel incredibly lucky to work somewhere where I can do this and I wanted to share it with everyone who visits St Fagans.
Last summer I created a draft plan of a map to test with staff and community groups. Even though it was a very basic map at the time the feedback was very positive:
"Wir wedi mwynhau’r daith - diolch Joe! Braf cael cyfle i grwydro gerddi’r castell a mwynhau’r awyr iach. Diolch!"
“Lovely and peaceful, I like the sound of the water. The gardens were beautiful and very relaxing.”
"Wedi mwynhau gwylio’r colomennod ar ben y colomendy."
“Lots of quiet, secluded areas to sit down. I did find myself stopping to take note of my senses – smelling leaves, listening to the birds”
"Gall hwn fod un o highlights newydd SF"
“It felt like I had permission to take time and look and explore which was so nice.”
The feedback fed into the creation of the final version. It is designed by Frank Duffy who has done a great job of the illustrations and the look of the map. The map was funded by the Armed Forces Covenant who have supported a range of innovative events, displays and programmes at the Museum since 2014. One of the aims of the funding is to support the wellbeing of veterans and their families, so the concept of the mindfulness walk fitted in perfectly with the Covenant’s objectives. Members of the Armed Forces community had a first look at the new maps on 9th December 2019 with very positive feedback for how it could be used to help those living with mental ill health.
Try the tour out for yourself by picking up a copy at St Fagans. The map is available at the front desk or you can download a PDF version here.
At 507 years of age Ming the clam broke the Guinness World Record as the oldest animal in the world. Collected off the coast of Iceland in 2006, initial counts of the annual rings of the shell put the age at around 405 years old, which was still a record breaker. However, in 2013 scientists re-examined the shell using more precise techniques and the count rose to 507 years old.
This is what remains of the actual shell that was used in the aging study. At 507 years the Ocean Quahog is the oldest non-colonial animal in the world. We say ‘non-colonial’ because some animals such as corals can live to over 4,000 years but they are made of lots of animals (called polyps) stuck together as a collective form. Of the animals that exist alone the Ocean Quahog is the oldest and the Greenland Shark comes in second at around 400 years old.
If you’d like to see Ming face-to-face (well, shell-to-face!) and find out how scientists discovered Ming’s age then come to Amgueddfa Genedlaethol Caerdydd – National Museum Cardiff and visit our Insight gallery. As well as learning about Ming you can find out about Freshwater snails, prehistoric mammals and lots more....
I've been a lifelong fan of dinosaurs, as a toddler I'd request a whole dinosaur book be read to me every night before bed. So I was pretty sad when The Natural History Museum in London said goodbye to Dippy the Diplodocus in exchange for a whale (whales are cool, but they're not quite dinosaurs). But soon the news that Dippy was on tour was out and he was coming to Cardiff just as I was also returning, I had to go and see him, and a few weeks ago I did!
So I was already at National Museum Cardiff, Dippy was there, life was good. But then I found the Dippy About Nature exhibition which mixed dinosaurs with climate activism. It was like two of my favourite worlds had collided in the best way. So I am here to introduce you to that exhibition and why it was so amazing!
With prehistoric displays made of recycled clothing, it was like someone had taken interests out of my brain and slapped them together into an excellent exhibition. Plus there was information on how to ditch fast fashion and cut carbon emissions.
I'm well aware this exhibition was not made for me, but it really felt like it was. I don't think I've seen anything more me in my life. Dinosaurs and activism? Yes please!
There were several displays of different aspects of the era of dinosaurs, all made from recycled clothing and depicting scenes like the K-T mass extinction, and watery scenes with facts about ocean pollution from the fashion industry and it just worked so well!
There was also more of a kids' section with drawing activities and an interactive learning section.
Asking questions like:
What percentage of global carbon emissions come from the fashion industry?
How can we change our fashion habits?
What changes can we make in our diet to reduce carbon emissions?
How much rubbish to we produce in the UK each year?
What else can we do?
With pictures of dinosaurs recycling! I am a fan.
Though this exhibition is small, it makes an impact, and I think it does a really good job of getting involved and interacting with fashion and climate activism whilst also keeping it involved and relevant to the rest of the museum (plus it was kid friendly).
I'm also happy to say that now this exhibition has ended, the activism continues in the museum, as National Museum Cardiff have now set aside a space in the museum specifically for activism, which I think is an amazing idea. It's a part of the Kick the Dust project and if you're a youth then you can get involved with the museum's Youth Forum and have a say about what they put on there (which I may well join!).
This was quite a quick rave review, but yes, this is activist exhibitions done right, in my opinion. Have you been to the exhibition? Let me know what you think! Any other activist exhibitions you recommend?
Yn ystod 2019, treuliom amser yn datblygu rhaglen sgiliau San Ffagan gan gydweithio â phartneriaid a chymunedau i greu cyfleoedd ar gyfer addysg oedolion a datblygu sgiliau, fel rhan o waith menter Cyfuno a Deddf Llesiant Cenedlaethau'r Dyfodol. I nodi lansiad adran newydd ar ein gwefan addysg ar gyfer Addysg Gymunedol dyma ddiweddariad ar yr hyn sydd wedi'i gyflawni hyd yn hyn, a beth sydd i ddod yn 2020.
Addysg Gymunedol a Datblygu Sgiliau:
Rydyn ni wedi cydweithio â sefydliadau megis The Wallich, Hafal, Crisis ac Oasis Cardiff i greu sesiynau blas ar sgiliau. Mae gweithdai trin lledr a chopr wedi ysgogi pobl i ddwyn ysbrydoliaeth o gasgliadau'r Amgueddfa, a'i blethu â'u profiadau diwylliannol eu hunain ym mhob sesiwn.
Dyma nhw'n rhannu eu profiadau gyda ni, gan gynnwys y detholiad canlynol o uchafbwyntiau:
"Cyfareddol, diddorol, gwerth chweil."
"Doeddwn i byth wedi trin lledr o'r blaen, felly roedd e'n ddiddorol ac ymlaciol."
Hyd yn hyn mae 243 o bobl wedi cymryd rhan mewn sesiynau rhwng Ebrill a Rhagfyr 2019, ac mae rhagor ar y gweill ar gyfer 2020.
Partneriaethau Widening Access:
Rydyn ni wedi cydweithio â sefydliadau megis adran Widening Access Prifysgol Fetropolitan Caerdydd er mwyn dod â rhaglenni addysg hygyrch i'r Amgueddfa, gan ddefnyddio ein casgliadau i ehangu ac ychwanegu gwerth i'r potensial dysgu. Yn 2019, cynhaliwyd dau gwrs ysgrifennu creadigol a chwrs therapi ategol yn Sain Ffagan. Mae cwrs therapi ategol arall yn cael ei gynnal ar hyn o bryd, ac mae cyrsiau pellach ar y gweill eleni.
Detholiad o adborth dysgwyr:
"Mae'r cwrs wedi cynyddu fy hyder a dangos i fi lle ydw i am wella."
"Wedi mwynhau'r cwrs yn fawr, tiwtora da ac awyrgylch cefnogol."
Sgiliau iaith:
Mae creu cyfleon i bobl ddysgu a datblygu eu sgiliau iaith yn rhan bwysig o'r rhaglen datblygu sgiliau. Yn 2019, adeiladodd Sain Ffagan ar ei phartneriaeth ag Ysgol y Gymraeg Prifysgol Caerdydda ddarparodd gwrs Mynediad 1 20 wythnos (Ionawr i Orffennaf 2019). Aeth nifer o'r dysgwyr ymlaen i gofrestru ar gyfer y Cwrs Mynediad 2 a ddechreuodd ym mis Medi 2019. Dechreuodd cwrs Mynediad 1 newydd ym mis Ionawr.
Mae dysgwyr ESOL yn elwa o adnoddau dysgu ESOL Sain Ffagan, a ddatblygwyd ar y cyd â Choleg Caerdydd a'r Fro (CAVC), gan gynnig yr Amgueddfa fel lleoliad croesawgar i ddysgu, rhannu diwylliant a datblygu eu gwybodaeth a dealltwriaeth o dreftadaeth ddiwylliannol Cymru. Mae grwpiau wedi ymweld o golegau megis CAVC a’r adnoddau yn cael eu lawrlwytho yn rheolaidd o wefan yr Amgueddfa - cyfanswm o 174 weithiau rhwng Mai a Rhagfyr 2019.
Eleni rydym yn dathlu'r llwyddiant hwn ac yn gobeithio ei ddatblygu ymhellach drwy lansio ardal newydd ar ein gwefan ar gyfer Addysg Gymunedol. Ewch i'n gwefan i ddysgu rhagor am sut i gymryd rhan a threfnu ymweliad.
Diolch i bob cyfrannwr, y sefydliadau partner a'r tîm yn Sain Ffagan am bob llwyddiant hyd yn hyn.
