Live Fast, Die Young – Even in Mice

(University of Zurich, July 04, 2013)

Female mice with a high life expectancy are less active and less explorative. They also eat less than their fellow females with a lower life expectancy, according to a recent study performed by behavioral biologists from the University of Zurich. “For the first time, we report personality traits associated with a selfish genetic element that influences life expectancy”, says Yannick Auclair, one of the study authors. With their experiments, they tested predictions of “life-history theory” on how individuals invest optimally in growth and reproduction. According to this theory, individuals with a greater life expectancy will express reactive personality traits and will be shy, less active and less explorative than individuals with a lower survival expectation.