![]() ![]() Just how do we know that bowhead whales live to such a ripe old age? Studying the changes to the amino acids in the eyes of captured whales give scientists some clues. But the most conclusive evidence comes from antique hunting gear pulled from the whales’ blubber.Īlaskan Inupiat hunters have discovered Victorian-era harpoon points in some bowheads caught, indicating life spans of 130-170 years, with one specimen indicating a life of 211 years. So when we find genes related to DNA repair and DNA damage responses, we think maybe this could be involved in longevity and disease resistance of the bowhead," Joao Pedro de Magalhaes, the study’s lead researcher, told CBS News. ![]() "We know DNA damage and DNA mutation are important for cancer. In comparing the genome of the bowhead with that of the shorter-lived minke whale, the scientists discovered that the bowhead has gene mutations that are thought to manipulate cell growth, helping to repair DNA and increase cancer resistance. But this giant animal's lifespan is also thought to be the longest of any mammal on earth, and a new study by genomic scientists provides insight into why the creature is able to survive diseases and disorders that kill other mammals earlier in life.Ī team at the University of Liverpool has sequenced the genome of the bowhead and released a study identifying a collection of genes that may be responsible for the whale’s durability. The life of a bowhead whale is relatively quiet: it spends its days swimming in the frigid waters of the Artic, feasting on zooplankton and breaking through up to two feet of ice to take a breath. ![]()
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