Hedgehogs have lived on planet Earth for 20 million years but the most ancient one of all has only recently been discovered. While examining animal carcasses, a research team lead by Sophie Lund Rasmussen of Aalborg University randomly stumbled upon Erinaceus europaeus, a 16-year-old hedgehog, making it the oldest among its kind. The average life expectancy for hedgehogs is usually two to four years, making this discovery extraordinary. The biologists working with Rasmussen, who also belong to the Wildlife Conservation Research Unit at the University of Oxford, have examined a total of 697 hedgehogs. (Summary provided by Infomedia) Sources: Daily News, 21-02-2023