They wanted to figure out just how old it could be, so they decided to open it up and count the growth rings along the clam's hinge ligament. They got their answer -- and it was shocking.

The mollusks feed on tiny plants or animals ... Their shell consists of two parts, connected by a hinge joint and a ligament. With the help of the ligament both parts can be opened.

In contrast, only 4% of patients who wore Compass Knee Hinge (CKH; Smith & Nephew) postoperatively for about six weeks had recurring instability; just 3% of these patients had failed ligament groups.

Ming — as the mollusk came to be known as — was estimated at the ... According to ScienceNordic, the researchers counted the rings on the hinge ligament — the area that connects the two halves of the ...