A group of biologists from Australia and New Zealand found that the scent of a new partner affects lifespan and reproductive ability in some animals. The study was published in the scientific journal magazine Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences (RSPB).
Previous research has shown that mate pheromones can accelerate aging in worms and fruit flies by activating brain reward pathways associated with mating, independent of reproduction. Making mating possible helped fruit flies live longer, but it was unclear whether the same thing happened in such vertebrates.
Laboratory experiments found that exposing middle- and older-aged male mice to the scent of unknown females reduced the number of offspring they could produce.
It turns out that the key factor is the presence of female scent in the absence of animals. If males were close to females and could mate with them, this would increase their life expectancy.
“Our findings add to growing evidence that indirect signals from partners can influence the aging process. Biologist Michael Garratt, of the University of Otago, New Zealand, said: “Responses evoked by opposite-sex odors are important in preparing the reproductive physiology of animals so they can effectively participate in social interactions that are important for their fitness.” “maybe,” he said.
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