GoKawiilDog Aging Project study links 'jumping genes' to faster aging in large breeds
Arizona State University researchers analyzed DNA methylation data from 864 dogs collected through the Dog Aging Project and published their findings in Science. They found that aging correlates with declining epigenetic regulation of transposable DNA sequences called 'jumping genes,' particularly a class known as LINE1s, with giant breeds losing roughly 35 percent of this regulatory control.