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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.
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.
The legacy of hunter-gatherers as the key
Although the genetic makeup of all individuals examined consisted of a mixture of these ancient groups, a particularly striking pattern emerged. Those who reached the age of 100 consistently carried a higher proportion of Western European hunter-gatherer ancestry than the other groups. Statistical analyses confirmed that this association remained significant even when taking into account the overall genetic structure of the Italian population.
According to the study, even a small increase in hunter-gatherer ancestry significantly raised the likelihood of reaching the age of 100. This effect was especially pronounced among female participants, suggesting that the secret of longevity does not operate in the same way for everyone.
Biological explanations for longevity
Through detailed analysis of chromosomes, the researchers also found that centenarians carried several genetic variants inherited from Western European hunter-gatherers that previous studies had already linked to the secret of longevity. This indicates that the phenomenon is not merely demographic in nature, but that specific biological mechanisms may also be involved.
It is thought that these ancient gene variants may have provided an advantage during the harsh conditions of the last Ice Age, when survival depended on a strong immune system and a high degree of adaptability.
The significance of prehistoric genetic lineages
The findings therefore suggest that the secret of longevity lies partly in a genetic heritage that developed tens of thousands of years ago. These prehistoric genetic factors may still influence who goes on to live a longer and healthier life today, opening up new avenues for future research into extending human lifespan.
The biggest obstacle to vastly increased longevity is the fact that our cells’ telomeres gradually shorten, until they can shorten no more. There is no way to stop that from happening, nor should we try: The “depreciation” of telomeres protects us from cancer. If telomeres would not gradually deteriorate, cancerous mutations would evolve much more easily and we’d be riddled with all kinds of cancer from a pretty early age.
Transhumanism–digitizing the human brain and, possibly though not necessarily, implanting it into cybernetic bodies–is the only way we could live potentially forever.
Would we want to, though?