The secret of longevity may lie hidden in ancient human DNA

The secret of long life has fascinated people for centuries: is it genetics, our environment, or our lifestyle that determines how long we live? A recent scientific study suggests that the answer may be rooted far more deeply than previously thought.

Humanity has long been preoccupied with uncovering the secret of longevity, yet the solution may not lie solely in the advances of modern medicine or the benefits of a healthy lifestyle.

Italian researchers, examining the DNA of people aged 100 or older, have concluded that exceptional longevity may be partly linked to the genetic legacy of ancient hunter-gatherer populations, reports Archaeology News.

The connection between the secret of longevity and genetic heritage

Longevity is the result of an extremely complex process in which genetics, environment and lifestyle all play a role. Previous studies have already identified genes that may contribute to a longer lifespan, but this new research adopted a different approach.

The researchers analysed whether the genetic heritage of ancient populations still has an impact on human health and lifespan today.

Thanks to advances in palaeogenomics, it has become possible to compare modern human genomes with DNA samples that are thousands of years old. This allows scientists to trace how certain human traits or genetic patterns developed over millennia.

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Unexpected findings from the genetic analysis of Italian centenarians

The study focused on Italy, one of the countries with the highest proportions of centenarians—people who have reached the age of 100. Italy’s social history is also relatively well documented, despite the fact that several major waves of migration have reshaped the population over thousands of years, and particularly during the last century.

Researchers analysed the complete genomes of 333 Italian centenarians and compared the data with those of 690 middle-aged, completely healthy individuals.

The research was further supplemented with data from 103 ancient genomes, covering four main ancestral genetic components of the Italian population: Western European hunter-gatherers, Neolithic farmers who arrived from Anatolia, Bronze Age nomadic peoples, and groups originating from the Iranian and Caucasian regions.