Strong social relationships are associated with decreased longevity in a facultatively social mammal.

ABSTRACT: Humans in strong social relationships are more likely to live longer because social relationships may buffer stressors and thus have protective effects. However, a shortcoming of human studies is that they often rely on self-reporting of these relationships. By contrast, observational studies of non-human animals permit detailed analyses of the specific nature of social relationships. Thus, discoveries that some social animals live longer and healthier lives if they are involved in social grooming, forage together or have more affiliative associates emphasizes the potential importance of social relationships on health and longevity. Previous studies have focused on the impact of social metrics on longevity in obligately social species. However, if sociality indeed has a key role in longevi

SUBMITTER: Blumstein DT 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5805924 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature