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 And because studies have proven that people born in September out live people born other times of the year, we have a foundation to support the hypothesis that a genetic “switch” occurs around this time of year, which contributes to longevity. 

An 80,000 year Archived Time Capsule

Now let’s see how this configures into the 80,000 year Archived Time Capsule
Because genes preserve previous generations of ancestors, much like we can count the rings from tree trunks and learn about climate change, we can learn a lot from old aged tress or animals.

This has happened in a massive underground root system known as Pando, which is situated 1 mile southwest of Fish Lake on Utah route 25 in the Fishlake National Forest, located in South-central Utah (N 38.525 W 111.75).

Pando is also called The Trembling Giant, and is a single colony of male quaking aspen (Populus tremuloides), which contain identical genetic markers.

This collective area of roots are estimated to collectively weigh 6,500 short tons, which also makes it one of the heaviest known interconnected living organisms. The root system is estimated to be over 80,000 years old, making it among the oldest living organisms.

Because the organism is underground, it has survived climate change, as well as forest fires and it sprouts new stems after wildfires. The entire clonal colony covers 106 acres and consists of over 40,000 stems, which die individually.  New stems re-sprout from these roots. The average age of a Pando stem is 130 years (shown by tree rings), however, the root system is over 80,000 years of age. The Quaking aspen reproduces via suckering. New stems grow in collective stems known as Ramets, which come from the same genetic root, much like a clone is produced from a single gene.

Other experts claim the Pando root system is over 1 million years old, due to the shifting of geology and receding oceans and inland lakes, which may have eliminated favorable soil conditions for new seedlings.  Research concluded that the males grow slower than the females, especially at higher elevations and that the Pando complex thrives 8,848 ft, above sea level.

Another tree that lives over 4,000 years of age, the bristlecone pine tree, which lives at an elevation of between 5,600 and 11,200 ft.

The term Pando comes from the Latin word “I spread.” This is due to the aspen clone starting with a single seed, which spreads by sending up new shoots from the expanding root system. What is amazing is these new shoots turn into trees that are genetically identical to their original counterparts. The best time to visit the Pando tress is during Fall, when the oranges and yellows of the leaves give off a spectacular glow in the setting sunlight.

The 250 Million Year Old Microbe Retrieved From A Salt Crystal

In the year 2000 scientists announced that they revived bacteria that was in suspended animation for over 250 million years.  This bacteria was encased in a salt crystal deep in the Earth. The soil bacteria was discovered in Carlsbad, New Mexico.

This soil bacteria is almost identical to modern day soil bacteria, which forms protective spores when the climate changes or the environment becomes too challenging. They act like plant seeds and form a tough protective shell which insulates and protects their genes and cells. Spores have been shown to withstand radiation and can remain intact when no water or nutrients are available.

Some people are skeptical, however this discovery has been repeated. In 1995, research scientist Dr. Raúl Cano and his team announced they “woke up” a 30-million-year-old bacteria that once lived in the gut of a bee that was preserved in amber. If this is true, we may be able to create a time capsule using nanobots and preserve them in rock salt crystals or amber to be read at a future date by our future ancestors, or send it into space to be read by other civilizations.

The Jellyfish That Lives On the Ocean Floor And Is Immortal

The species of jellyfish known as Turritopsis dohrnii, also called the Benjamin Button, has the ability to “grow young again” (age backward) and originated in the Mediterranean and in the waters off Japan.  The waters near japan is also where the seaweed called Wakame, that is high in the stem rebuilding compound fucoidan (which promotes new stem cell growth) comes from.

After Turritopsis medusa has spawned, it than heads to the ocean floor and “lays down” by absorbing its tentacles into its bell, thereby turning into a gelatinous “blob”.  This blob than develops into a new shell, whereupon it grows new stolons that lengthen and become polyps again. This procedure is known as the cell trans-differentiation phase and is also known in the science literature as rejuvenation.  Other scientists have shown that a cell trans-differentiation phase can be induced by physical trauma, stress or starvation. Much like short term oxidative stress and calorie restriction prolong lifespan in animal studies.

Kevin J. Peterson, a molecular paleobiologist at Dartmouth, studies jellyfish genetics and discovered that jellyfish and humangenes are very similar. The only difference being the jellyfish genes are far more complex. He believes the rejuvenation is possible because the RNA in the jellyfish known as MiRNA, which are also found in stem cells act as an “on-off” switch which regulate gene expression. The off gene allows the cells to function normally, but when switched on, as during the regenerative phase, the cells help grow new parts and rejuvenate the tissues such as creating new nerves and skin tissues.

Beneficial Short Term Stress and the Evolution of Longevity

So what do all 3 of these organisms have in common?  They undergo periods of short term beneficial stress.  This adaption to the stress may cause a type of evolution by activating the genes responsible for longevity.  Research has proven that the body undergoes these types of stresses more often during seasonal changes, especially at solstices and equinoxes, as experiments on athletes have proven.  This stress can be caused by the following:

Cooler Weather, Starvation or Physical Trauma, which causes a type of longevity evolution to occur

In the Pando and Bristle Cone Pine Trees, we see cool weather. In the jellyfish, we see that cell trans-differentiation phase can be induced by physical trauma, stress or starvation, and in soil bacteria, which forms protective spores when the climate changes or the environment becomes too challenging.

During Doug Skrecky’s experiments he discovered that when the bacteria L rhamnosus was killed (causing stress), it prolonged the lifespan of fruit flies. L rhamnosus can be found in Parmesan or Provolone cheeses, and is used in our current researching of the new longevity mix.

Another interesting discovery is the antioxidant astaxanthin (one of natures most powerful antioxidants) is made from algae that has been under stress, due to the water being gradually evaporated. (the deeper the color, the higher the astaxanthin concentration)

Another interesting find is many longevity substances have a resinous type texture, which is a sticky, amber like substance that is found in longevity foods such as cinnamon, myrrh, pine and citrus extracts.