Episode Details

DNA samples from the oldest living land animal show how good genes and limited biochemical wear and tear have given a giant tortoise named Jonathan an extended lifespan. The genetic switches that control the genes for DNA repair and metabolism more closely matched his much younger relatives. 

Also today: 

• What fossilized vomit reveals about ancient sea monsters
• Meet the Nobel-winning physicist who hunts for ghost particles at the South Pole
• What Jonathan, the 194-year-old tortoise, can teach us about defying death
• Nuclear clocks begin ticking — and could become the world’s most precise timekeepers

For more information about today’s episode, visit cbc.ca/quirks.