Considering the Longevity of Eusocial Insect Queens

Source https://www.fightaging.org/archives/2022/02/considering-the-longevity-of-eusocial-insect-queens/

Eusocial species are characterized by reproductive and non-reproductive castes, such as the familiar division of queens and workers in common insect species. Eusociality is more common in insects and less so in other classes of life, although there are a few eusocial mammals, such as the naked mole-rat. For researchers who investigate the comparative biology of aging, one of the more interesting aspects of eusociality is that queens live longer than workers, many times longer in some species, while being genetically identical. Why is this?

Comparing very similar species with divergent life spans is a desirable starting point if trying to reverse engineer the relationship between metabolism and longevity. In principle divergen…

Source https://www.fightaging.org/archives/2022/02/considering-the-longevity-of-eusocial-insect-queens/

Eusocial species are characterized by reproductive and non-reproductive castes, such as the familiar division of queens and workers in common insect species. Eusociality is more common in insects and less so in other classes of life, although there are a few eusocial mammals, such as the naked mole-rat. For researchers who investigate the comparative biology of aging, one of the more interesting aspects of eusociality is that queens live longer than workers, many times longer in some species, while being genetically identical. Why is this?

Comparing very similar species with divergent life spans is a desirable starting point if trying to reverse engineer the relationship between metabolism and longevity. In principle divergen…

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