What happened
Could the world’s oldest known living land animal help scientists understand ageing? Newstro explains the genome and epigenome research on Jonathan, the giant tortoise whose age is estimated at about 194.
The October 7, 2026 Science Advances paper reports distinctive protein-changing variants in 287 genes in its comparisons and low methylation disorder in 272 selected gene promoters. The video explains why these counts describe different analyses, what mitochondria do, and why the proposed mechanism still requires validation.
This research did not test an anti-ageing treatment in people. The authors say their data do not establish direct causation. Jonathan’s estimated age is based on historical evidence; the study is not a precise DNA age test. Report prepared October 8, 2026.
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Every statement is attributed to the cited reporting. Visuals marked “file photo” or “illustrative” do not depict the events described unless stated.