A man who lived to age 114 died recently on a small Mediterranean island. Until age 102 he rode a bicycle every day to tend to his family's orchards. His 101-year-old brother, his two daughters aged 81 and 77, and a nephew aged 85 all still live in a small town on the Spanish island of Minorca.

All of which got some scientists wondering: Did this old-timer have super genes, the perfect lifestyle or plain good luck? In an attempt to find out, the researchers tested the whole family for two genetic mutations associated with longevity and healthy bones, and found that the family lacked these bonus points, suggesting that the keys to long life are not so simple.

"We found that the explanation is far more complex than simply a variation in a single gene," said Adolfo Díez Pérez of Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, who worked on the study. "What we know in terms of genetic predisposition is only partially understood."  Read More...