Old before their time? Aging in flies under natural vs. laboratory conditions

A marked T. angusticollis female on an Acacia trunk in Sydney. Evolutionary studies of aging typically utilize small, short-lived animals (insects, worms, mice) under benign conditions – constant temperature and humidity, no parasites, superabundant food – in the laboratory. Oddly enough, very little is known about aging in such animals in their harsh, stressful natural environments. Could it be that these laboratory "guinea pigs" actually age much more slowly in captive luxury than do their wild cousins?

Read the whole article on Biology News Net

More from Biology News Net