Lonesome George, a wizened Galapagos giant tortoise, was the last of his kind. When a researcher spotted the nearly five-foot-long reptile roaming Pinta Island in 1971, his species had been thought extinct for decades. During the 40 years that followed — until his death in 2012 — Lonesome George was believed to be the only Pinta giant tortoise on the planet.

Question

Lonesome George, a wizened Galapagos giant tortoise, was the last of his kind. When a researcher spotted the nearly five-foot-long reptile roaming Pinta Island in 1971, his species had been thought extinct for decades. During the 40 years that followed — until his death in 2012 — Lonesome George was believed to be the only Pinta giant tortoise on the planet.
Now, researchers are using the iconic tortoise’s genetic material along with DNA from another long-lived turtle, the Aldabra giant tortoise, to better understand what it takes to live a long life.
In a new study published Monday in Nature Ecology and Evolution, the researchers sequenced Lonesome George and his fellow giant tortoises’ genes to compare the common genetic links among other long-living animals — such as naked mole rats, bats, some species of whales and humans.
They found a set of genetic adaptations related to cancer suppression, DNA repair and inflammation, laying the groundwork for future experiments into the mechanics of aging.
With the new insight into turtle biology, the researchers also hope this analysis might help prevent the long, lonely end of the world’s remaining giant tortoises.

What reason does the author give for researchers’ success sequencing Lonesome George’s DNA?

(1 point)
Responses

Victor Quesada compared what researchers know about tortoise aging to human aging to study the genes that control the process.
Victor Quesada compared what researchers know about tortoise aging to human aging to study the genes that control the process.

The Human Genome Project provided advancements in DNA sequencing technology. This made it easier to sequence the tortoise’s DNA.
The Human Genome Project provided advancements in DNA sequencing technology. This made it easier to sequence the tortoise’s DNA.

Sequencing a genome involves figuring out the order of every DNA base in an organism’s cells.
Sequencing a genome involves figuring out the order of every DNA base in an organism’s cells.

When Adalgisa ‘Gisella’ Caccone began trying to assemble the complete set of Lonesome George’s genes in 2010, the technology was slow and expensive.

GPT-4o mini · Answer

The reason the author gives for researchers’ success sequencing Lonesome George’s DNA is:

The Human Genome Project provided advancements in DNA sequencing technology. This made it easier to sequence the tortoise’s DNA.