The Longevity Bottleneck Hypothesis: How Dinosaurs Influenced Human Aging and Lifespan

KOMPAS.com – A new study presents a quite interesting new theory.

The theory states that human aging and lifespan were most likely influenced by the dominance of dinosaurs for millions of years.

Read also: Earth was more attractive to aliens during the dinosaur era, why is that?

Why is that possible?

Quoting the Independent, Thursday (4/1/2024) although some reptiles and amphibians do not show significant signs of aging before they die, all mammals, including humans show marked development in their appearance as they age.

A new theory called the ‘longevity bottleneck hypothesis’ suggests that mammals faced constant pressure to reproduce quickly during the dinosaur era.

These 100 million years of stress likely caused the inactivation or loss of genes associated with longevity that play a role in tissue regeneration and DNA repair.

“Even though humans are one of the longest-lived animals, there are many reptiles and other animals that have a much slower aging process and show minimal signs of aging throughout their lives,” said Joao Pedro de Magalhaes from the University of Birmingham.

“The longevity bottleneck hypothesis may explain the evolutionary forces that have shaped mammalian aging over millions of years,” he explained.

Research has shown that some of the earliest mammals lived at the bottom of the food chain and may have spent more than 100 million years during the time of the dinosaurs surviving through rapid reproduction.

Read also: New Study Reveals Impact of Asteroid Dust on Dinosaur Extinction

“Evolutionary pressures over long periods of time, I think, impact the way we age,” Magalhaes said.

Although some animals had extraordinary methods of repairing and regenerating cells and tissues, such genetic traits were not necessary for early mammals which were fortunate enough not to become food for predatory dinosaurs.

“We now have many mammals, including humans, whales and elephants that grow large and live long. We and these mammals live with the genetic constraints of the Mesozoic era and age surprisingly faster than most reptiles,” Magalhaes added.

Although the idea currently exists only as a hypothesis, further investigation may shed more light, including why cancer is more common in mammals than in other species.

The research was published in the journal BioEssays.

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2024-01-04 23:34:00
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