Naturally long-lived animal models for the study of slow aging and longevity
Donna J. Holmes
Department of Biological Sciences, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID 83844-3051, USA
Arguably, the most effective 'engineer' of long life spans and
anti-aging mechanisms thus far has been evolution by natural selection.
Senescence theory predicts that organisms with effective protections
against mortality will evolve delayed reproduction, efficient
mechanisms of long-term somatic maintenance, and slow aging. A
substantial body of literature supports this prediction. Vertebrate
species now known to have remarkably slow or negligible rates of
aging-related fitness declines in nature include certain fishes,
turtles, birds, and flying, gliding or subterranean mammals. While
obviously not as well-developed in many respects as standard laboratory
animal models, a number of these species have great potential as tools
for understanding the metabolic and molecular correlates of delayed
aging. Birds, for example, age slowly for their small body sizes, high
metabolic rates and body temperatures; data gathered to date in our
laboratory and others suggest they accumulate products of glycoxidation
more slowly and defend against oxidative stress more effectively than
do similar-sized mammals. With judicious use of the comparative method
and careful selection of species, the feasibility of productive
collaborative studies between biogerontologists and zoologists studying
longevity in natural populations is growing. Studies of naturally
long-lived animals hold great promise for revealing common aging and
anti-aging mechanisms in a wide range of species.
Key words:
longevity, evolution, reptiles, fishes, turtles
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