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Uncertainty over how to date coral makes estimates of their lifespan contentious. When growing their skeletons, corals use carbon that is found as either dissolved inorganic carbon or particulate organic carbon. As they get larger, corals grow in a tree-like fashion, forming growth rings. One researcher has counted the rings of Gerardia to estimate their lifespan at 70 years, while another researcher has used radiocarbon dating to estimate their lifespan at more than 2700 years old. [Source: Nature News]
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