March 29, 2024

How Slow Can You Go?

When body size was managed for, it turned out that endotherms and ectotherms aged at about the same rate on average, however ectotherms had much more variable rates of aging, with some aging substantially much faster than endotherms and others aging substantially slower. Having data on aging in wild animals is important for future research studies on evolutionary pressures that may have contributed to different aging rates, however captive populations are essential too, as they can assist researchers start to disentangle the results of internal biology and the impacts of environment on mortality.” Since some of these species age really gradually,” states Austad, “potentially theres something that we may be able to find out from them about slowing the aging process.”

When body size was managed for, it turned out that endotherms and ectotherms aged at about the very same rate on average, but ectotherms had much more variable rates of aging, with some aging significantly faster than endotherms and others aging considerably slower. Having information on aging in wild animals is essential for future research studies on evolutionary pressures that might have contributed to different aging rates, however captive populations are crucial too, as they can assist researchers start to disentangle the impacts of internal biology and the results of environment on death. By comparing their information on 3 species of turtles and tortoises in captivity with released information on the very same species in the wild, “we discovered that the populations in captivity have lower aging rates,” says lead author Rita da Silva, a biologist at the University of Southern Denmark. The aging rate only takes death into account, not any of the imperfections that come with old age.” Since some of these species age extremely slowly,” states Austad, “potentially theres something that we might be able to find out from them about slowing the aging procedure.”