Thursday, 18 April 2013

Death tests assess how isolation shortens lifespan of social creatures



When social animals are separated from their colony and placed into isolation, their lifespan is reduced, a study finds.


In 1944, two French entomologists -- Pierre Paul Grasse and Remy Chauvin -- separated small groups of social insects (between 1 and 10 bees) from their colony to measure their respective life span. They found that groups of 10 individuals lived longer than groups of 1 or 2 individuals. This suggested that the lifespan of individuals may be affected by their interaction with the group to which they belong.


By: Olivia Solon, Edited by: Ian Steadman


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via Wired.co.uk



http://www.wired.co.uk/news/archive/2013-04/18/social-animals-life-expectancy

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