Long-sightedness in old wild bonobos during grooming

Heungjin Ryu, Kirsty E. Graham, Tetsuya Sakamaki, Takeshi Furuichi

概要

Some scientists have suggested that, among Hominidae, prolonged postmenopausal longevity evolved uniquely in humans, while others disagree. There have, however, been few empirical studies on how physiological aging and somatic durability in humans compare to our closest relatives - chimpanzees and bonobos. If prolonged lifespan is selected for in humans, physiological aging, including reproductive and somatic senescence, might be different for Pan and Homo. But it seems that the parameters of reproductive senescence, such as the age of having their final offspring and the number of years between generations, are not very different between chimpanzee and human females. Here, we report evidence for five cases of long-sightedness (presbyopia) in old wild bonobos, exhibited during grooming. Our results suggest that senescence of the eye has not changed much since the divergence of Pan and Homo from their common ancestor.

書誌情報

Current Biology Volume 26, Issue 21, pR1131-R1132, 7 November 2016
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2016.09.019

　

紹介されました

Nature http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v539/n7628/full/539143d.html

Science http://www.sciencemag.org/news/2016/11/bonobos-need-reading-glasses-too

The New York Times http://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/08/science/aging-bonobos-eyesight.html

　

2016/11/08 Primate Research Institute