In fact, in captivity, without the stress of finding food and avoiding predators, some may not age at all.
Death comes for everyone, but old age does not! So it seems at least for some species of animals.
Specifically, two new studies published on Thursday (June 23) in the journal Science point out that some species of turtles have extremely slow aging rates.
In fact, in captivity, without the stress of finding food and avoiding predators, some may not age at all.
«This is extremely excitingSaid Rita de Silva, lead author of the study, who conducted the research while at the University of Southern Denmark and is now a biologist at the University of Porto in Portugal. What makes it even more interesting is that modern humans have not yet found a way to have this benefit for their species, even though we now live in a world with fewer challenges to our daily survival.
«As modern people, we tend to live in very good conditions, so the environment for us could be characterized as idealHe added that we still can not reduce our aging rate.
How turtles avoid aging is a mysterybut the solution … may be in their shell.
In order to reveal the secrets of their longevity, two groups of researchers studied them thoroughly and published their findings.
Previous geriatric studies have been performed on warm-blooded animals, such as mammals and birds, although cold-blooded animals (amphibians, fish and reptiles) are breaking longevity records.
The first study was conducted on 77 species of reptiles and amphibians, including Komodo dragons and tree frogs. The scientists analyzed data on the effect of some of their characteristics, such as metabolism, aging and longevity.
Beth Raike, an evolutionary biologist at Northwestern University in Illinois who co-authored the research, points out that cold-blooded animals, whose temperature depends on the environment, are better equipped to manage the damage caused by aging than warm blood.
The rate of aging was particularly slow in crocodiles and salamanders. The only species, however, that remained unchanged despite the passage of time were the turtles.
The second group looked at aging in 52 species of tortoises that lived captive in zoos and aquariums. It was found that 75% of the species showed little or no signs of aging, while in 80% the rate of aging was much slower than that of modern man.
Dr. Rita da Silva points out that even turtles that live free, without controlled nutrition and protection, age too slowly. Of course, turtles have not conquered eternal youth either.
As Dr. Caleb Fitz, a geriatrician at the University of Southern California and a researcher on human aging, explains, they also show signs of aging, such as cataracts, weakness, and heart problems. Researchers, however, are convinced that they hide the secret of slowing down aging and longevity.
Dr. Da Silva estimates that, when the scientific community thoroughly studies the evolution of aging in turtles, it will find its connection point with human health and aging.
Perhaps, with this knowledge, in the distant future, researchers will be able to create the “elixir of longevityAnd for our species. Until then, the only thing that can guarantee us many and good years of life is the observance of the scientific recommendations for good nutrition and exercise.
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