Editor’s note: A version of this story appeared in CNN’s Wonder Theory science newsletter. To get them in your inbox, register for free here.
“Though you try, never grow up,” Peter Pan said in JM Barrie’s novel of the same name, echoing a sentiment long expressed by the human race in its attempts to cheat death.
The quest to unlock the secrets of longevity has been a topic of scientific study for decades. And some of the greatest lessons about living a long life come from nature itself.
For example, take Jonathan the giant tortoise. It is believed that this turtle, who lives on the remote South Atlantic island of St. Helena, may have been born in 1832 – but it may be more than 200 years since the exact date of her birth is unknown.
Although he can’t see or smell, Jonathan still has hearing due to his old age and gets sunburnt in bad weather.
But even though giant claws are known for their longevity, they can be outdone by an invisible creature of the deep.
Ocean secrets
A Greenland shark is seen swimming under the ice near the northern tip of Baffin Island in the Canadian Arctic. – Avalon.red/Alamy Stock Photo
The rarely seen Greenland shark is a slow-moving animal that swims slowly in the deep waters of the North Atlantic and Arctic oceans. Polar fish are the only species of shark that can withstand freezing temperatures year-round.
The great sharks also live more than 400 years, and some of them may have lived since colonial times.
After mapping and studying their extraordinary genomes, scientists believe that sharks’ unusually long lives are rooted in their unique nature – with insights that could be used to extend human life.
Other countries
The “Black Beauty” meteorite opened a window into the study of ancient Mars when it was discovered in the Sahara Desert in 2011.
Astronomers believe that the space rock was ejected from Mars 5 million to 10 million years ago. And now, a mineral grain inside a meteorite has revealed the oldest direct evidence of water on Mars 4.45 billion years ago.
Mineral deposits have been altered by hot water on Mars, which suggests that habitable places such as hot springs may have existed on the red planet early in its history.
Meanwhile, the Perseverance rover has just completed its three-and-a-half-month climb up the slopes of Jezero Crater on Mars, spotting a rare zebra-striped rock. What’s next? A robotic explorer will examine ancient rocks on Mars to reveal more about the world’s mysterious past.
The kingdom of the wild
A monarch butterfly drinks nectar from a flower in a pollinator bed near the Chicago Park District storehouse in August. -Tess Crowley/Chicago Tribune/Getty Images
With orange-and-black wings, butterflies ofThe monarch is easy to spot as it flies between flowers, helping to pollinate plants and promote biodiversity.
But monarch populations have seen dramatic declines due to pests, habitat loss and climate change — so worrying that the US Fish and Wildlife Service has recommended adding the vulnerable species to the endangered species list.
If the butterflies receive the name, other measures can be taken to protect important pollinators. But officials warn that without action, monarchs could become extinct before the end of this century with far-reaching consequences for species.
Fantastic creatures
When the creature washed ashore in New Zealand in July, experts wondered if it could be a shovel-toothed whale, the rarest whale in the world that is thought to be a myth because it has never been seen alive in the sea.
Now, scientists examining the fossils have confirmed that the “strong, powerful little animal” is indeed one of the most mysterious marine animals, said Anton van Helden, an expert on some of the world’s rarest whales.
The carcass, which was studied by whale scientists and members of the local Maori community, revealed important clues about the deep-sea diving animal.
We are a family
The image shows the first Europeans living in what is now Ranis, Germany, about 45,000 years ago and probably moving together in the open steppe. – Tom Björklund/Max Planck Institute
Ancient DNA extracted from bone fragments found in a cave under an ancient castle has helped scientists determine when early humans met Neanderthals and created offspring with them.
The bones belong to a mother, daughter and distant relatives who lived in this area in eastern Germany 45,000 years ago. Their genomes revealed evidence of Neanderthal ancestry, meaning that early Homo sapiens living in the region came into contact with Neanderthals 1,500 years ago.
“We were more alike than we were different,” said Priya Moorjani, assistant professor of molecular and cell biology at the University of California, Berkeley.
“They seem to have been mixed up for a long time.”
Besides clarifying the shared history between humans and Neanderthals, the study also showed that the pieces belonged to a lost branch of the human family.
Discoveries
Check out these exciting new findings:
– A male humpback whale embarked on a record-breaking migration of 8,106 miles (13,046 km) between the Pacific and Indian oceans, providing a unique insight into the complex nature of these marine giants.
— A strong type of bacteria, nicknamed “Conan the Bacterium,” is resistant to radiation that is thousands of times stronger than can kill a person. Now, scientists have considered a “secret source,” which can be used to protect deep-space astronomers in the future.
– The NASA Juno spacecraft flyby of Jupiter’s hot moon Io has helped reveal surprising reasons why it is the most explosive planet in our sun.
Like what you read? Oh, but there is more. Write here to receive in your inbox the next edition of Wonder Theory, brought to you by CNN Space and Science writers. Ashley Strickland, Katie Hunt and Jackie Wattles. They find wonder in the planets outside our solar system and discoveries from the ancient world.
For more CNN news and newsletters, create an account at CNN.com