The cecal appendix is correlated with greater maximal longevity in mammals.

ABSTRACT: The cecal appendix had been considered as a useless vestige since Darwin's work, but recent research questioned this idea demonstrating that the cecal appendix appeared among the mammals at least 80 million years ago and has made multiple and independent appearances without any obvious correlation with diet, social life, ecology, or size of the cecum. However, functions and probable selective advantage conferred by this anatomical structure still remain enigmatic. We found, through analyses of data on 258 mammalian species, that cecal appendix presence is correlated with increased maximal observed longevity. This is the first demonstration of a correlation between cecal appendix presence and life history. Interestingly, the classical evolutionary theory of aging that predicts an increased

SUBMITTER: Collard MK 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8546507 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature