New research has shown that birds, like humans, become less social as they age, and the paper published in the British Royal Society for Biological Sciences says it may not these creatures “see no reason for this anymore,” indicating that this behavior may stop. without “stress.” “Evolving” forces her to create new relationships.
It has long been thought that the lack of friends in older people is because they are more selective in choosing who they spend their time with, and a lack of peers can add to this, but it is difficult to distinguish the different reasons for this behavior in humans, so researchers turned to animals to study this style.
The researchers followed a group of Old World sparrows on Lindy Island UK.
Lindi Island is characterized by the presence of a closed community of this type of bird, where new individuals do not leave or join, which allowed researchers to collect accurate data about these birds, including their age, reproductive success rate, and their size. social networks.
Social network
Due to the constant number of birds on the island, the team was able to closely monitor the age and interaction of these birds over a period of 25 years they age, just like humans.
Researchers say that this evolutionary pattern may also apply to humans, as people become less willing to form new friendships as they age, especially due to the lack of friends that may be the same age group many older people suffer from.
The study is the first of its kind to show that birds, like mammals, reduce the number of social relationships as they age, and become less central to the network of social relationships. .
The team’s previous studies have shown that creating friendships, especially with the opposite sex, helps to reproduce successfully.
But the recent study addressed other aspects of life, as it showed that the lack of social interaction in older birds does not entail an “evolutionary cost.” There is no negative impact on the chances of transferring genes to future generations.
Researchers explain that “friendship” or “social interaction” may change with age. Young birds benefit from friendship in the breeding process, but once they are successful, the loss of friendship or friendship does not seem to affect them negatively.
But another study published on Monday in the same journal confirms that social species live longer.
This study, carried out by the University of Oxford, revealed that more social creatures live longer and enjoy longer reproductive periods compared to more isolated species.
Included the study Across many species in the animal kingdom, from shellfish to humans, this is the first comprehensive study that links sociality to longevity and multiple reproductive opportunities.
The findings show that social organisms have many benefits, such as sharing resources, protection from predators, and supporting the rearing of young, but that living in groups may also present challenges. cause, such as increasing the potential for the spread of disease, and increased competition. hostility, and conflict between individuals.
Social organisms live longer
The researchers, led by Professor Rob Salguero Gomez from the University of Oxford, analyzed 152 species of organisms, including birds, mammals, insects and coral reefs.
The results showed that social species live longer, reach maturity later, and enjoy better reproductive success compared to more solitary species.
Although these organisms may not be the most adapted to rapid environmental changes, they are often very resilient as groups.
The study also showed that social life affects the ability of organisms to reproduce and survive as they age, because friends or friends in the community can provide protection against predators, which contributes to prolonging life.
In contrast, stress due to hierarchy and social conflict can lead to negative consequences.
Social life is an essential part of many animals’ lives, says Salguero Gomez, but we still lack cross-species evidence showing the costs and benefits of social life.
The study showed that more social species, such as monkeys, humans, elephants and flamingos, live longer and have an extended reproductive period compared to solitary species such as some fish and reptiles.
