Bowhead Whale Lives Over 200 Years Old

The bowhead whale can live over 200 years old, making it the longest-lived mammal on Earth, according to a new study. Given its longevity, with little evidence of age-related diseases, researchers hope this whale can provide insight into how humans can lead a long and healthy life.

The findings were published in the journal Cell Reports.

Scientists at the University of Liverpool have sequenced the genome of the bowhead whale, and compared with those from other shorter-lived mammals.

It turns out that bowhead whales have genetic differences unique to their species. For example, genetic alterations related to cell division, DNA repair, cancer, and aging may have helped increase its longevity and avoid contracting diseases typically associated with old age.

"Our understanding of species' differences in longevity is very poor, and thus our findings provide novel candidate genes for future studies," senior author Dr. João Pedro de Magalhães said in a press release. "My view is that species evolved different 'tricks' to have a longer lifespan, and by discovering the 'tricks' used by the bowhead we may be able to apply those findings to humans in order to fight age-related diseases."

It should be mentioned that certain large whales like the bowhead have over 1,000 times more cells than humans do. Scientists speculate that this natural mechanism is responsible for the animal's cancer resistance.

In addition, whale cells have a much lower metabolic rate than those of smaller mammals, and the researchers found changes in one specific gene involved in thermoregulation (UCP1) that may be related to metabolic differences in whale cells.

Bowheads are related to right whales, and like the right whale they are slow-moving filter feeders that subsist largely on zooplankton like copepods, euphausiids and mysids, the NOAA says. And not only are they the longest living mammals at up to 200 years old, but they are also one of the heaviest, reaching 100 tons - that's second to only the blue whale. They are typically found in icy Arctic waters, though earlier this year one was found very far from home in Cape Cod Bay.

There are thought to be between 7,000 and 10,000 of these animals alive today.

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