Heliconius Butterflies Live 25x Longer, Pointing to Evolved Anti-Aging Beyond Pollen Diets
Updated
Updated · KSL.com · Jun 21
Heliconius Butterflies Live 25x Longer, Pointing to Evolved Anti-Aging Beyond Pollen Diets
1 articles · Updated · KSL.com · Jun 21
Summary
348 days — nearly 25 times the 14-day lifespan of Dione juno — is how long Heliconius hewitsoni can survive as an adult, according to a Nature Communications study.
28 Heliconius species showed that pollen feeding helps explain the genus's unusual longevity, but butterflies still outlived non-pollen relatives even when pollen was removed, pointing to evolved anti-aging traits.
277-day Heliconius hecale showed little physiological decline in grip-strength tests and maintained body mass and muscle function longer than 98-day Dryas iulia, a closely related non-pollen feeder.
Researchers say the butterflies could become a practical model for longevity research because their full life cycle can be observed within about a year, with possible clues for healthy human aging.