Mammals with larger brain sizes live longer: Study

Washington, July 16 (ANI): A new study claims that mammals with larger brains in relation to body size tend to live longer.

One existing hypothesis suggests that a larger brain provides more flexibility in behaviour when facing changes in the environment and makes learning easier making ecological challenges easier.

CREAF researchers Cesar Gonzalez-Lagos and Daniel Sol, together with Simon Reader (University McGill, Canada) analysed data from rodents and bats to cetaceans, felines, ungulates and marsupials and concluded that the hypothesis could indeed be true.

A larger brain also provides more chances to reproduce - a compensation for a longer embryonic development.

Since it takes longer to reach sexual maturity, they get a longer reproductive life.

Researchers also point out that the opposite could be true, that is, a longer life favours the development of larger brains.

A longer life would mean a delay in reproductive cycles, which means more time in caring for offspring. Additionally, it also leads to the formation of stable social groups whose members.

"Our results do not demonstrate which of the two options is correct, although we think that the two complement each other and go hand in hand," added the researchers.

The research is published recently in Journal of Evolutionary Biology. (ANI)