Overview
- The Science Advances paper published Wednesday reports that researchers sequenced Jonathan’s genome and epigenome and identified 287 gene variants the team links to DNA repair, lower inflammation, and mitochondrial health.
- Samples came from a noninvasive cheek swab, which produced incomplete DNA that the authors filled using reference genomes and computational models, leaving roughly five percent of the final sequence not directly from Jonathan.
- External experts warn the study is limited because it analyzes a single animal and relies on sensitive bioinformatics assumptions that can produce false positives or negatives, so the findings are preliminary and not proof of cause.
- Study authors and affiliated groups say they plan to use these evolutionary clues to pursue drugs that boost mitochondrial function and aim to test interventions in humans within one to two years, a timeline reported by the team but not yet confirmed by independent trials.
- Jonathan has lived on St. Helena since the 19th century and represents an extreme example of a long‑lived species, so scientists say broader surveys of other tortoises and long‑lived animals are needed to tell which features reflect species traits versus one animal’s uniqueness.