Navigation Links
Environmental cues control reproductive timing and longevity, University of Minnesota study shows
Date:6/25/2009

When humans and animals delay reproduction because food or other resources are scarce, they may live longer to increase the impact of reproduction, according to a new study by University of Minnesota researchers published in the June 25 issue of PLoS (Public Library of Science) One.

The discovery, which explains why starvation can lead to longer life, has important implications for improving human health and lengthening lifespan.

The basic premise is that individuals use environmental cues to predict population declines, causing them to delay reproduction until the decline has occurred, when each offspring will make a bigger contribution to the gene pool. Conversely, if bad times turn to good times and the population is on the verge of a boom, reproducing sooner rather than later will help their genes thrive.

"If the population is decreasing, future kids make a bigger splash in the gene pool than current kids," explains Will Ratcliff, a College of Biological Sciences graduate student who came up with the idea for the study. "So, if there are tradeoffs between current and future reproduction, delaying reproduction can be a good idea, even if it reduces the number of kids you have during your lifetime."

Fluctuations in testosterone levels provide an example of how the environment and organisms interact to guide reproduction, explains R. Ford Denison, adjunct professor in the College of Biological Sciences and Ratcliff's adviser. Testosterone suppresses the immune system. So when environmental conditions trigger high levels, reproduction is high but longevity drops.

Environmental factors also control the age of menarche. In African countries with chronic food shortages, girls experience menarche much later than in the U.S., where rich diets trigger early menarche. Food scarcity is a signal that population is likely to decline, so reproduction is delayed, while an abundance of rich food signals an increase, causin
'/>"/>

Contact: Patty Mattern
612-624-2801
University of Minnesota
Source:Eurekalert

0

GOOD

Page: 1 2

Related biology news :

1. Study finds environmental tests help predict hospital-acquired Legionnaires disease risk
2. Genes, Environment and Health Initiative invests in genetic studies, environmental monitoring
3. UCR engineers to develop new tool to measure how environmental exposures affect health
4. TAU scientists probe deep questions aboard EcoOceans environmental research ship
5. Environmental setting of human migrations in the circum-Pacific Region
6. UC-Riverside partners with Chinese university to address Chinas environmental problems
7. Food and environmental sustainability focus of ASA-CSSA-SSSA Annual Meetings
8. Relationship between environmental stress and cancer elucidated
9. Environmental researchers propose radical human-centric map of the world
10. New journal Energy & Environmental Science to be launched by RSC Publishing
11. Environmental exodus
Post Your Comments:
*Name:
*Comment:
*Email:
(Date:5/21/2013)... NC Biologists have known for a long time ... why isn,t well understood, particularly for plants. But it ... Lanfear of Australian National University and the U. S. ... to be published 21 May in the journal ... plants have faster-changing genomes. , Drawing from a database ...
(Date:5/21/2013)... considered in the management of natural resources, and ... help them recognize and respond to the relationships ... , Place-Based Conservation: Perspectives from the Social ... Northwest Research Station,s Linda Kruger, can help managers ... is published by Springer Verlag and is available ...
(Date:5/21/2013)... in the body, stem cells in the blood ... into mature immune cells that can fight off ... these cell populations, potentially leading to the development ... a team of researchers led by biologists at ... that, in mouse models, the molecule microRNA-146a (miR-146a) ...
Breaking Biology News(10 mins):Small but speedy: Short plants live in the evolutionary fast lane 2Keeping stem cells strong 2
... the consumption of soy-based foods can cause irreversible changes ... puberty and symptoms of advanced menopause in research animals, ... Carolina State University. The study is a breakthrough in ... as well as in providing a key building block ...
... scientists at the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory at ... petroleum companies to locate, analyze and process crude oil ... Marshall, a giant in the field of chemical analysis, ... with a California-based company, Sierra Analytics ( www.MassSpec.com ), ...
... PASADENA, Calif.--Organisms ranging from humans to plants to the ... the various stages of an organism,s development, and still ... sex. Researchers at the California Institute of Technology have ... the nematode worm Caenorhabditis elegans that serves ...
Cached Biology News:New study shows compounds from soy affect brain and reproductive development 2FSU, Magnet Lab researchers license critical petroleum data 2Caltech researchers find dual-use sexual attraction and population-control chemicals in nematodes 2Caltech researchers find dual-use sexual attraction and population-control chemicals in nematodes 3
(Date:5/22/2013)... , May 22, 2013   Oligomerix, ... development of disease modifying therapeutics for Alzheimer,s disease ... completion of its Series B financing, which includes ... warrants that would represent approximately $2.8M in new ... new investors supported the raise. ...
(Date:5/22/2013)... Mass. and NEW ORLEANS ... leader in the field of regenerative medicine, presented new ... economists from Analysis Group (a leading health economics consultancy) ... diabetic foot ulcers (DFU) and venous leg ulcers (VLU) ... The results of this research, which reveal annual costs ...
(Date:5/22/2013)... 22, 2013 AudioNotch ... for tinnitus treatment. AudioNotch is pleased to announce ... clinic locations in both British Columbia and Alberta, ... and hearing services. AudioNotch's tinnitus treatment program is ... entering a Destination Hearing clinic, patients have the ...
(Date:5/22/2013)... Alton Housing Authority was hit by bed bugs. A ... their presence has already caused the company $35,000 for treatment. ... spending, My Cleaning Products shared a way how to ... the report that to clear the infestation , the ... employees also attended a mandatory training on bed bugs, it ...
Breaking Biology Technology:Oligomerix, Inc. Completes Series B Financing 2Oligomerix, Inc. Completes Series B Financing 3Organogenesis Presents Findings from Groundbreaking Research Highlighting the Healthcare Resource and Economic Burden of Venous Leg Ulcers and Diabetic Foot Ulcers 2Organogenesis Presents Findings from Groundbreaking Research Highlighting the Healthcare Resource and Economic Burden of Venous Leg Ulcers and Diabetic Foot Ulcers 3Organogenesis Presents Findings from Groundbreaking Research Highlighting the Healthcare Resource and Economic Burden of Venous Leg Ulcers and Diabetic Foot Ulcers 4AudioNotch Tinnitus Treatment Launches Partnership With Destination Hearing 2Bed Bugs Cost Alton Housing Authority $35,000; New Help, How to Kill Bed Bugs With Less Expense, Introduced by My Cleaning Products 2
... engine dedicated to recruiting exceptional talent to jobs at ... the most rewarding careers on the planet, but they ... StartUpHire website, www.startuphire.com , lists thousands of jobs ... investor, and more. Search agents allow users to ...
... (Pink Sheets: SYNJ), Reports that it has engaged in ... The job of the Director will be to coordinate ... Pinnacle Energy Division. The Company is currently considering ventures ... production, and microwave plasma physics. To that end, the ...
... NOVATO, Calif., March 18 BioMarin Pharmaceutical Inc. (Nasdaq: ... for clinical trial authorization (CTA) for BMN 110 or ... lysosomal storage disorder Mucopolysaccharidosis Type IVA (MPS IVA), or ... Kingdom Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA). BioMarin ...
Cached Biology Technology:StartUpHire Launches Comprehensive Search Engine for Jobs at Venture-Backed Companies 2StartUpHire Launches Comprehensive Search Engine for Jobs at Venture-Backed Companies 3Syndication Inc. Seeks 'DIRECTOR OF TECHNICAL ENGINEERING' for 'PINNACLE ENERGY' - Its New Alternative Energy Subsidiary 2BioMarin's Clinical Trial Application for GALNS for Morquio A Syndrome Accepted by the MHRA 2BioMarin's Clinical Trial Application for GALNS for Morquio A Syndrome Accepted by the MHRA 3BioMarin's Clinical Trial Application for GALNS for Morquio A Syndrome Accepted by the MHRA 4
... StabilZyme HRP Conjugate Stabilizer is an ... protein and other non-toxic stabilizing chemicals in ... 6.2 6.7. This product contains ... and 20 ppm Proclin 300 (Rohm and ...
Preparation Note: Prepared by method of Wimmer, E., et al., Biochemistry, 7, 2623 (1968). Quality Clarifier: Acceptor Activity: approx. 1000 picomoles phenylalanine per A 260 unit (not determined b...
This buffer is Specifically formulated to be used with Endogen's Poly-HRP Streptavidin...
... and positioning system is designed for ... be positioned or scanned with high ... superior responsiveness compared to micropositioners with ... or XY stage) are driven by ...
Biology Products: