Researchers identify 31 genes associated with social organisation and longevity
Mammals that live in groups generally have longer lifespans than solitary species, new research into nearly 1,000 different animals suggests.
Classifying mammals into three categories – solitary, pair-living and group-living – the researchers found that animals who lived in groups, such as elephants and zebras, tended to live longer on average than solitary species such as the aardvark and eastern chipmunk.The correlation held even when the researchers took into account a link between larger species size and longer lifespan.
Northern short-tailed shrews – which are solitary animals – and group-living greater horseshoe bats are similar in weight, for example, but live to a maximum of around two and 30 years respectively. The genes were primarily immunity- and hormone-related, the latter of which the study’s authors say could play a role in social behaviour.
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