Editing Openai/6924402f-3b58-8006-a1bd-56b1245e20a2 (section)

=== Assistant: !https://sainthelenaisland\.info/jonathan\guinness03\.jpghttps://sainthelenaisland.info/jonathanguinness03.jpg ===
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!https://upload\.wikimedia\.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/3b/Jonathan\-plantation\-house\.jpg/960px\-Jonathan\-plantation\-house\.jpg<ref>{{cite web|title=https://upload\.wikimedia\.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/3b/Jonathan\-plantation\-house\.jpg/960px\-Jonathan\-plantation\-house\.jpg|url=https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/3b/Jonathan-plantation-house.jpg/960px-Jonathan-plantation-house.jpg|publisher=upload.wikimedia.org|access-date=2025-11-25}}</ref>
!https://cdn\.mos\.cms\.futurecdn\.net/79L4m2GdkVCezBq26VJTG8\-2400\-80\.jpg<ref>{{cite web|title=https://cdn\.mos\.cms\.futurecdn\.net/79L4m2GdkVCezBq26VJTG8\-2400\-80\.jpg|url=https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/79L4m2GdkVCezBq26VJTG8-2400-80.jpg|publisher=cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net|access-date=2025-11-25}}</ref>
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Cool — there's actually quite a bit of scientific research (and emerging work) that relates to Jonathan’s kind — Aldabra giant tortoises — which helps us understand why they live so long. While not all studies are directly on Jonathan himself, many apply to his species (or very close relatives), so they give strong insight into the biology of his longevity.

Here’s a breakdown of key findings, recent research, and what scientists think makes tortoises like Jonathan “age so well”:

==== 1. Genomic / Genetic Basis - There’s a landmark genome study of giant tortoises (including Aldabrachelys gigantea, the same species as Jonathan) that found specific genetic variants linked to DNA repair, regulation of inflammation, and cancer suppression. researchnow.flinders.edu.au<ref>{{cite web|title=researchnow.flinders.edu.au|url=https://researchnow.flinders.edu.au/en/publications/giant-tortoise-genomes-provide-insights-into-longevity-and-age-re/|publisher=researchnow.flinders.edu.au|access-date=2025-11-25}}</ref> - These kinds of genes (DNA repair, tumor suppression) are thought to be part of why tortoises can live so long without as much age-related disease as other animals. Lab Manager<ref>{{cite web|title=Lab Manager|url=https://www.labmanager.com/in-death-lonesome-george-reveals-why-giant-tortoises-live-so-long-3043|publisher=Lab Manager|access-date=2025-11-25}}</ref> - In 2022, researchers from the University of Zurich assembled a chromosome-level genome for the Aldabra giant tortoise, which could be very useful in future aging research. OUP Academic<ref>{{cite web|title=OUP Academic|url=https://academic.oup.com/gigascience/article/doi/10.1093/gigascience/giac090/6756429|publisher=OUP Academic|access-date=2025-11-25}}</ref> ====
# Epigenetics - Very recently (2025), a preprint study (not yet peer-reviewed) looked at the epigenome (which involves how genes are regulated, not just what genes are present) of giant tortoises. They aim to understand how epigenetic mechanisms contribute to their extreme longevity. BioRxiv<ref>{{cite web|title=BioRxiv|url=https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.02.05.636284v1.full-text|publisher=biorxiv.org|access-date=2025-11-25}}</ref> - This kind of work is promising: by looking at how gene expression changes with age or how DNA is “marked,” scientists hope to pinpoint what really drives the long lifespan, beyond just the DNA sequence.
# Cancer Resistance - A study found that long-lived turtles and tortoises seem to have evolved extra copies of certain cancer-fighting genes. OUP Academic<ref>{{cite web|title=OUP Academic|url=https://academic.oup.com/gbe/article/13/12/evab244/6430984|publisher=OUP Academic|access-date=2025-11-25}}</ref> - This could be important: having more robust anti-cancer mechanisms may help reduce the risk of tumors over a very long life.
# Microbiome / Gut Bacteria - There’s some emerging research on tortoise gut microbiota (the community of bacteria in their gut) and how it relates to longevity. For example, a student-research study from SOKENDAI looked at fecal samples from Aldabra giant tortoises to see how their gut microbiome changes with age. soken.ac.jp<ref>{{cite web|title=soken.ac.jp|url=https://www.soken.ac.jp/en/student-research/20230313_2E.html|publisher=soken.ac.jp|access-date=2025-11-25}}</ref> - The hypothesis: gut bacteria may play a role in immunity, metabolism, and thus long-term health in very old tortoises.
# Evolution of Aging in Tortoises - A study involving 52 species of turtles and tortoises (with data from places like Woburn Safari Park) challenged standard evolutionary theories of aging. They found that many tortoises have very slow senescence — meaning they don’t show typical signs of aging (like rapidly increasing mortality) as strongly as many other animals. woburnsafari.co.uk<ref>{{cite web|title=woburnsafari.co.uk|url=https://www.woburnsafari.co.uk/news-and-events/news-2022/evolutionary-turtle-tortoise-study/|publisher=woburnsafari.co.uk|access-date=2025-11-25}}</ref> - This suggests that tortoises may age in very different ways than mammals, perhaps by reducing the rate of physiological decline if environmental conditions are favorable.

==== - Since Jonathan is an Aldabra giant tortoise, most of the genomic research mentioned above is directly relevant to him (or animals very like him). ====
* The genetic variants for DNA repair, tumor suppression, and inflammation control could be part of why he’s survived so long, possibly more than 180+ years.
* His microbiome (if studied) could also contribute: a beneficial gut bacterial community might support metabolic health, nutrient absorption, and immune function.
* The fact that tortoises may “age more slowly” (in a physiological sense) helps explain how someone like Jonathan can maintain a relatively stable condition well into extreme old age.

If you like, I can check for very recent (2024–2025) peer-reviewed journal articles specifically mentioning Jonathan (or his exact subspecies) — do you want me to do that?