The perks of being a mole rat
9 hours ago
- #longevity
- #evolution
- #biology
- Turritopsis dohrnii jellyfish can theoretically live forever by reverting to a polyp stage under stress.
- Lobsters can live over a hundred years due to continuous self-repair, though molting eventually exhausts them.
- Ocean quahog clams and Greenland sharks have ultra-slow metabolisms, enabling lifespans of centuries.
- Aldabra tortoises and bowhead whales are long-lived land and marine mammals, respectively.
- Naked mole rats defy Gompertz’s law, showing no increased mortality risk with age and living up to 40 years.
- Humans are long-lived for their size and heart rate, with extended childhoods and post-reproductive lifespans.
- Cancer resistance in long-lived species like elephants involves multiple copies of tumor-suppressing genes.
- Telomerase activation and DNA repair mechanisms are potential longevity strategies but come with cancer risks.
- Slowing metabolism via mTOR inhibition (e.g., rapamycin) or caloric restriction can extend lifespan in animals.
- Future longevity may involve gene therapies or pharmaceuticals mimicking traits of long-lived species.