Scientists report the most comprehensive study of aging and longevity to date, including data collected in the wild from 107 populations of 77 reptile and amphibian species around the world, according to a study published in the journal Science. For the first time, researchers have recorded particularly low rates of aging in sea turtles, crocodiles and salamanders. The study found that protective phenotypes, such as the hard shells of most turtle species, help to slow down, and in some cases even “negligible” aging. The results of this study suggest that the way an animal regulates its temperature—cold-blooded versus warm-blooded—doesn’t necessarily indicate how quickly they age or how long they live. The protective phenotype hypothesis suggests that animals with physical or chemical traits that confer protection, such as armor, spines, shells, or venom, age slower and live longer. The team demonstrated that these protective traits did cause the animals to age more slowly, and with physical protection, they lived longer than animals without the protective phenotype. The researchers explained: “These different protective mechanisms reduce mortality in animals because they are not eaten by other animals. Therefore, they are more likely to live longer, which puts pressure on aging more slowly. We The greatest support for the turtle conservation phenotype hypothesis has been found. This again shows that as a group, turtles are unique.”
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