Jonathan the giant tortoise, 194, offers up insight into secrets of longevity — SkimNews
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- Jonathan, a 194-year-old giant tortoise living at Plantation House on Saint Helena, had his genome analyzed by an international team led by Benjamin Vaisvil, with results published in Science Advances.
- The study found genetic variants across most known ageing pathways — DNA repair, metabolism regulation, and cancer defense — but the most striking signal was on genes linked to mitochondrial function.
- Methylation patterns on Jonathan's mitochondrial genes matched those of much younger tortoises, leading senior researcher Stephen Clark of the Kallel Foundation to say his mitochondria must be "especially stable."
- Clark said the team must now validate the finding, outlining next-step experiments such as testing whether "young" mitochondria or replacement mitochondria could extend longevity in other organisms.
- Joe Hollis, Saint Helena's former senior veterinary officer, took over Jonathan's care in 2009 when the tortoise was blind, had lost his sense of smell, and had a soft, crumbly beak; six to twelve months of hand-feeding restored his weight and a hard, serrated beak.
- In April, a fake X account impersonating Hollis claimed Jonathan had died, prompting Governor Nigel Phillips to check on him and confirm the tortoise was "very much alive" — and more recently, Jonathan was observed mating with Emma, a tortoise sharing his paddock.
Why it matters: Longevity researchers gain a concrete lead from a 194-year-old subject: Jonathan's mitochondria show methylation patterns typical of young animals. Clark's team at the Kallel Foundation has outlined follow-up experiments to test whether preserving mitochondrial function extends lifespan, giving the field a testable hypothesis rather than just another correlation.
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