Huh. I wonder if bats' strong immune system is part of why they're such a major source of novel pathogens? Like, the pathogens are put under pressure to evolve rapidly, when being passed around in a bat colony, because otherwise they just get wiped out.
Though in a way, working through the specifics of why any one species is unusually long-lived is a red herring. How you get longevity is for a species to be in a situation where longer life is evolutionarily advantageous, where it's selected for. (As Dawkins noted, spending the energy to build a long-lived fly is a waste because the fly will get eaten by something within a few months anyway.) If you want long-lived humans, don't let anyone have children till their 40. After ten generations, lifespans will be significantly longer!
No, the evolutionary reason is why, not how. The question of why jellyfish developed fluorescence is an evolutionary question of mild importance. The question of *how* jellyfish developed fluorescence led to the discovery and utilization of one of the most important tools in the biologist's toolbox, GFP.
Love these comparative physiology posts! The entire field is under-researched and under-reported and is a goldmine of biological insights.
Huh. I wonder if bats' strong immune system is part of why they're such a major source of novel pathogens? Like, the pathogens are put under pressure to evolve rapidly, when being passed around in a bat colony, because otherwise they just get wiped out.
Did you read Trevor's linked article? That's precisely his thesis there.
Haven't had time to, yet, it's open in a tab for later.
I guess this is an instance of great minds think alike, then.
Though in a way, working through the specifics of why any one species is unusually long-lived is a red herring. How you get longevity is for a species to be in a situation where longer life is evolutionarily advantageous, where it's selected for. (As Dawkins noted, spending the energy to build a long-lived fly is a waste because the fly will get eaten by something within a few months anyway.) If you want long-lived humans, don't let anyone have children till their 40. After ten generations, lifespans will be significantly longer!
No, the evolutionary reason is why, not how. The question of why jellyfish developed fluorescence is an evolutionary question of mild importance. The question of *how* jellyfish developed fluorescence led to the discovery and utilization of one of the most important tools in the biologist's toolbox, GFP.