DNA samples from the oldest living land animal show how good genes and limited biochemical wear and tear have given a giant tortoise named Jonathan an extended lifespan. The genetic switches that control the genes for DNA repair and metabolism more closely matched his much younger relatives.
Also today:
What fossilized vomit reveals about ancient sea monsters
Meet the Nobel-winning physicist who hunts for ghost particles at the South Pole
What Jonathan, the 194-year-old tortoise, can teach us about defying death
Nuclear clocks begin ticking — and could become the world’s most precise timekeepers
For more information about today’s episode, visit cbc.ca/quirks.
