The case for extended lifespan in cooperatively breeding mammals: a re-appraisal.

ABSTRACT: Recent comparative studies have suggested that cooperative breeding is associated with increases in maximum lifespan among mammals, replicating a pattern also seen in birds and insects. In this study, we re-examine the case for increased lifespan in mammalian cooperative breeders by analysing a large dataset of maximum longevity records. We did not find any consistent, strong evidence that cooperative breeders have longer lifespans than other mammals after having controlled for variation in body mass, mode of life and data quality. The only possible exception to this general trend is found in the African mole-rats (the Bathyergid family), where all members are relatively long-lived, but where the social, cooperatively breeding species appear to be much longer-lived than the solitary specie

SUBMITTER: Thorley J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7243813 | biostudies-literature | 2020

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature