Max Planck Study Challenges Notions on Sex Differences in Lifespan
A groundbreaking study led by the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology has shed new light on sex differences in lifespan among mammals and birds. The research, titled 'Why Women Live Longer - An Evolutionary Perspective on Sex Differences in Lifespan in Mammals and Birds,' challenges traditional notions and provides compelling evidence for the role of caregiving and sexual selection.
The study, published in Science Advances, analyzed 1,176 species and found that females with two X chromosomes often outlive males with one X and one Y chromosome. This advantage, known as the heterogametic sex hypothesis, is due to backup copies of genes on the X chromosome. Among mammals, adult females lived 12% longer than males, while among birds, males lived 5% longer.
However, the study also found exceptions to these trends. In zoos, females with childcare responsibilities tended to live longer than males, contradicting the cost of reproduction theory. Some birds of prey, such as female falcons and hawks, also outlived their male counterparts. The study suggests that the sex doing the caregiving needs to survive longer to ensure the survival of their offspring. Additionally, female mammals typically lived longer than their male counterparts due to sexual behavior, supporting the sexual selection theory in non-monogamous species.
The study, the most comprehensive of its kind, reveals that the relationship between sex and lifespan is complex and influenced by various factors. The findings challenge existing theories and open avenues for further research. The differences in longevity between the sexes were more pronounced in the wild than in zoos, suggesting that environmental factors also play a significant role.
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