No evidence for Peto's paradox in terrestrial vertebrates.

ABSTRACT: Larger, longer-lived species are expected to have a higher cancer prevalence compared to smaller, shorter-lived species owing to the greater number of cell divisions that occur during their lifespan. Yet, to date, no evidence has been found to support this expectation, and no association has been found between cancer prevalence and body size across species-a phenomenon known as Peto's paradox. Specifically, while anticancer mechanisms have been identified for individual species, wider phylogenetic evidence has remained elusive. Here, we show that there is no evidence for Peto's paradox across amphibians, birds, mammals, and squamate reptiles: Larger species do in fact have a higher cancer prevalence compared to smaller species. Moreover, we demonstrate that the accumulation of repeated ins

SUBMITTER: Butler G 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11892590 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature