{
  "id": 2398115,
  "title": "Shark DNA could hold answers to how we age",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/21/shark-dna-could-hold-answers-to-how-we-age",
  "topic": "science",
  "section": "Science",
  "published": "2026-08-21T15:40:04.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Phys.org",
    "slug": "phys-org",
    "url": "https://phys.org/news/2026-08-shark-dna-age.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Scientists at the University of Georgia are using shark DNA to unlock the mystery of how sharks age. Researchers have developed a new tool called an \"epigenetic clock\" that analyzes chemical changes in an animal's DNA to estimate its age. This method, which has been successfully tested in dozens of other animals, is now being applied to sharks for the first time. By analyzing changes in DNA methylation, researchers can estimate the age of individual sharks without harming them, providing a noninvasive and fast way to assess an animal's age.\n\nThe study, published in the journal Molecular Ecology, tested the epigenetic clock on more than 50 zebra sharks across aquariums. Within two years of their chronological age, the researchers estimated zebra sharks' ages within two years using just 10 DNA tags. The estimates were compared with age records from the aquariums and proved to be accurate, with a zebra shark's life expectancy of up to 30 years being comparable to mistaking a person for 26 when they are actually 27.\n\nThe researchers found that zebra sharks age more dramatically before reaching sexual maturity, with changes in DNA patterns most striking in young, growing sharks. This trend of slower changes in older animals matches what has been observed in mammals. Understanding aging processes in vertebrates could provide insights into the foundation of long life and potential applications for species health, conservation management, and ecosystem balance.",
  "summary": "Age isn't just a number for one of the ocean's top apex predators. It's a mystery University of Georgia researchers are solving. A new UGA study has determined how to estimate the age of sharks by analyzing changes to individual animals' DNA. Known as epigenetic clocks, these scientific age estimators focus on chemical alterations known as DNA methylation to measure wear and tear on an animal's…",
  "key_points": [
    "Scientists at University of Georgia use shark DNA to study aging",
    "Epigenetic clock estimates shark age without harming them",
    "Zebra sharks age dramatically before sexual maturity"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}