by Vicky Stein
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.
Use the article to answer the question.
Which sentence from later in the text best helps develop the idea expressed in paragraph 2?
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Their long, slow existence “has been key to their survival — from a time of overexploitation to a time of greater enlightenment and conservation,” she wrote in an email.
Lonesome George was a conservation icon, Caccone said, but a conservation icon that can also provide insights into human health and aging.
By targeting more than 3,000 genes of interest, the researchers could tease out the variations between humans and tortoises.
Thanks to this analysis, the researchers were able to narrow down their original list of 3,000 genes to 43 specific sequences that might have contributed to Lonesome George’s long, disease-free life.
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The sentence that best helps develop the idea expressed in paragraph 2 is:
"Thanks to this analysis, the researchers were able to narrow down their original list of 3,000 genes to 43 specific sequences that might have contributed to Lonesome George’s long, disease-free life."
This sentence relates directly to the research into Lonesome George's genetic material and the exploration of factors contributing to long life, reinforcing the overall theme of the paragraph.
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