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Researchers have sequenced the genome of Jonathan, an Aldabra giant tortoise estimated to be about 194 and described in the report as the oldest living land animal. The study identified genetic variants in several aging-related pathways and an unusually low-entropy pattern in part of his methylome, but it does not establish what caused his exceptional lifespan.
Researchers have sequenced the genome of Jonathan, an Aldabra giant tortoise estimated to be about 194 years old, identifying genetic features that may help explain his exceptional longevity. The findings, published in Science Advances, offer clues about aging in a species known for long lives, but do not prove that any particular genetic feature accounts for Jonathan’s age.
The research team analyzed genetic material collected with cheek swabs and compared Jonathan’s data with genomes from other tortoises, including one named Tank, reported to be 36. A blood draw was considered too risky, according to the report. The project took years: researcher Stephen Clark said he first contacted Jonathan’s caretakers in 2017, while sample problems, the COVID-19 pandemic and new rules for access to the tortoise delayed the work.
The analysis identified variants in pathways involved in DNA repair, telomere maintenance, insulin regulation and cellular recycling, or autophagy. The researchers also examined the methylome, chemical modifications that help regulate gene activity. They found that a portion associated with mitochondrial processes had unusually low entropy, which Clark described as relatively pristine. The team compared this measure with that of younger tortoises, including one aged five.
That comparison does not show that the methylome pattern caused Jonathan’s longevity. The researchers’ findings point to possible biological leads, while the relationship between these features and lifespan remains to be investigated. Clark told 404 Media that the study is an early step in understanding a complex process involving many biological factors.
What Jonathan’s Genome May Reveal
Jonathan’s age makes him a rare subject for research into extreme longevity. Aldabra giant tortoises commonly live for many decades and can reach a century, but Jonathan is an outlier even among them. Examining a long-lived animal may help scientists identify biological processes that support healthy aging over unusually long periods.
The research is relevant to human health, but it is not a treatment study and does not show that tortoise biology can be directly applied to people. Clark, an aging researcher at the Kallel Foundation and an author of the study, told 404 Media that his team hopes work on long-lived species could help identify targets for future research. Any implications for human lifespan or healthspan would require much more evidence.
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From Seychelles to Saint Helena
Jonathan is an Aldabra giant tortoise, a species native to the Seychelles region. He is thought to have hatched around 1832. In the 1880s, when he was already several decades old, he was taken to the remote South Atlantic island of Saint Helena with three other tortoises as a gift for the British colonial governor. He has lived there since, at the governor’s residence, Plantation House.
His exact hatch date is not known, so his age is an estimate. The report describes him as the oldest living land animal; the study’s importance, however, lies in the genomic analysis rather than establishing a precise birth date. The research team’s access to Jonathan and the challenges of collecting samples also shaped the pace and method of the study.
“Aging is very complicated, and there’s all these different hallmarks. That’s why this Jonathan study is so interesting. We’re still just at the very beginning of trying to understand aging.”
— Stephen Clark, aging researcher and study author, speaking to 404 Media
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What the Genetic Results Cannot Show
The study does not establish that the identified variants or Jonathan’s low-entropy mitochondrial methylome caused him to live so long. Aging involves many interacting processes, and the findings are associations that need follow-up. It is also unclear how much each genetic feature contributes relative to other influences on lifespan.
Jonathan’s precise age remains uncertain because his hatch date is estimated rather than documented. The source report provides no detailed account of the study’s sample size, statistical limitations or plans for repeated sampling, so those aspects cannot be assessed from the information available here. The results should not be read as evidence of a method to extend human life.
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Further Research on Tortoise Aging
Clark said the team would need more research to investigate the mitochondrial methylome finding and disentangle the genetic factors involved in aging. The next step is further study of the candidate pathways and comparisons across more tortoises and ages; the source report does not give a timeline for that work.
Jonathan remains at Plantation House on Saint Helena, where he lives with other tortoises and is a local tourist attraction. For now, the genomic study adds a new set of observations about an unusually long-lived animal, while leaving the causes of his longevity open.
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Key Questions
How old is Jonathan?
Jonathan is estimated to be about 194 years old, based on an approximate hatch date of 1832. His exact age is not known.
What did the genome study find?
The researchers reported variants in pathways tied to DNA repair, telomeres, insulin regulation and autophagy. They also found an unusually low-entropy pattern in part of Jonathan’s methylome related to mitochondrial processes.
Does the study explain why Jonathan lived so long?
No. The findings identify possible clues, but they do not prove that any of the genetic features caused his longevity. The researchers said further work is needed.
Where does Jonathan live?
Jonathan lives at Plantation House, the governor’s residence on the South Atlantic island of Saint Helena. He was brought there from the Seychelles region in the 1880s.
Source: hn
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