Longevity claims are unsubstantiated cases of asserted human
longevity. Those asserting lifespans of 110 years or more are referred
to as supercentenarians. Many have either no official verification or
are backed only by partial evidence. Cases where longevity has been
fully verified, according to modern standards of longevity research,
are reflected in an established list of supercentenarians based on the
work of organizations such as the Gerontology Research Group (GRG) or
Guinness World Records. This article lists living claims greater than
that of the oldest living person whose age has been independently
verified, Kane Tanaka at 117 years, 294 days, and deceased claims
greater than that of the oldest person ever whose age has been
verified, namely Jeanne Calment who died at the age of 122 years, 164
days. The upper limit for both lists is 130 years.Prior to the 19th
century, there was insufficient evidence either to demonstrate or to
refute centenarian longevity. Even today, no fixed theoretical limit
to human longevity is apparent. Studies in the biodemography of human
longevity indicate a late-life mortality deceleration law: that death
rates level off at advanced ages to a late-life mortality plateau.
This implies that there is no fixed upper limit to human longevity, or
fixed maximum human lifespan. Researchers in Denmark have found a way
to determine when a person was born using radiocarbon dating done on
the lens of the eye.In 1955, Guinness World Records began maintaining
a list of the verified oldest people. It developed into a list of all
supercentenarians whose lifespan had been verified by at least three
documents, in a standardized process, according to the norms of modern
longevity research. Many unverified cases ("claims" or "traditions")
have been controverted by reliable sources. Taking reliable
demographic data into account, these unverified cases vary widely in
their plausibility.
longevity. Those asserting lifespans of 110 years or more are referred
to as supercentenarians. Many have either no official verification or
are backed only by partial evidence. Cases where longevity has been
fully verified, according to modern standards of longevity research,
are reflected in an established list of supercentenarians based on the
work of organizations such as the Gerontology Research Group (GRG) or
Guinness World Records. This article lists living claims greater than
that of the oldest living person whose age has been independently
verified, Kane Tanaka at 117 years, 294 days, and deceased claims
greater than that of the oldest person ever whose age has been
verified, namely Jeanne Calment who died at the age of 122 years, 164
days. The upper limit for both lists is 130 years.Prior to the 19th
century, there was insufficient evidence either to demonstrate or to
refute centenarian longevity. Even today, no fixed theoretical limit
to human longevity is apparent. Studies in the biodemography of human
longevity indicate a late-life mortality deceleration law: that death
rates level off at advanced ages to a late-life mortality plateau.
This implies that there is no fixed upper limit to human longevity, or
fixed maximum human lifespan. Researchers in Denmark have found a way
to determine when a person was born using radiocarbon dating done on
the lens of the eye.In 1955, Guinness World Records began maintaining
a list of the verified oldest people. It developed into a list of all
supercentenarians whose lifespan had been verified by at least three
documents, in a standardized process, according to the norms of modern
longevity research. Many unverified cases ("claims" or "traditions")
have been controverted by reliable sources. Taking reliable
demographic data into account, these unverified cases vary widely in
their plausibility.
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