They also discovered tumor-suppressing genes, genes related to DNA repair, and genes that help stave off oxidative stress, which causes some age-related problems. They also looked at 891 genes associated with the immune system and found that the reptiles had duplications not found in the human genome. The team found that genes that have been linked to longevity in humans were also found in the tortoises, and that those genes had undergone positive selection, meaning environmental pressures favored tortoises with genes for longer life. Their results appear in the journal Nature Ecology & Evolution. The team then compared the tortoise genomes to a wide range of other animals species to see what makes the shelled reptiles special. To understand George’s genetics, an international team sequenced the tortoises' DNA as well as the DNA of a less famous but still extant species of giant tortoise Aldabrachelys gigantea found in the Seychelles Islands. Researchers have published George’s genome, which reveals that the tortoises have specialized genes for longevity, immune response and cancer resistance that other vertebrate animals do not possess. While the beloved giant tortoise and his species might be gone, it turns out he’s still got a lot to teach us. In 2012, Lonesome George-the last Pinta tortoise, or Chelonoidis abingdonii-passed away at the age of 100 in a conservation facility in the Galapagos Islands.

Pinta island tortoise