The Secret To Living Longer Is Being Social, Suggests A New Study Of Over 150 Animal Species, Including Humans
Social animals live longer, take additional time to mature, and have more extended reproductive periods than solitary animals, according to research from the University of Oxford.
Animals living in social groups can share resources, protect each other from danger, and get help with raising offspring. However, they face more competition for resources, higher risks of disease transmission, and social conflicts.
Yet, scientists believe the benefits of social living outweigh the challenges. In a new study, researchers looked at 152 animal species across 13 taxonomic classes, from jellyfish to humans.
In the past, research on the link between social behavior and animal life was limited to single species and certain groups, like mammals or birds. The new study broadens the scope, diving deep into the patterns across the entirety of the animal kingdom.
The researchers developed a spectrum of sociality with five different levels to categorize the animals. Solitary creatures like cheetahs and tigers are at one end of the spectrum. These big cats spend most of their time alone except during breeding season.
In the middle, there are “gregarious” animals like zebras and wildebeests, along with “communal” species like purple martins.
The highly social species, such as most primates, elephants, and honeybees, are at the other end of the spectrum. They form tight-knit groups with complex social structures.
This novel approach to categorizing the sociality of animals helped expose patterns that may not have otherwise been obvious.
The researchers found that social species tend to live longer and can reproduce for a longer period. They are also more likely to reproduce successfully before dying compared to less social species.
zinkevych – stock.adobe.com – illustrative purposes only, not the actual people – pictured above, two women laugh while eating salads
For instance, meerkats live in cooperative groups where they take turns watching for predators and help each other raise their young. On the other hand, tigers are mostly solitary except when mating or raising cubs.
The meerkat’s social structure may play a significant role in how long they live and their extended reproductive window compared to solitary animals of a similar size.
The study also uncovered some unexpected findings about population resilience. In general, social species were more resilient to environmental disturbances but were less able to take advantage of favorable conditions than less social species.
This suggests that complex social structures can benefit individuals, but they do not give species an advantage in adapting to environmental changes.
Furthermore, it appeared that the social level of an animal does not affect how quickly it ages or experiences a reproductive decline.
“Sociality is a fundamental aspect of many animals. However, we still lack cross-taxonomic evidence of the fitness costs and benefits of being social,” said Rob Salguero-Gómez, an associate professor at Oxford’s Department of Biology.
“Here, by using an unprecedented number of animal species, this work has demonstrated that species that are more social (most monkeys, humans, elephants, flamingos, and parrots) display longer life spans and reproductive windows than more solitary species (some fish, reptiles, and some insects).”
Overall, the research demonstrates that being more social does come with benefits. The study was published in Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B.
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