LIVING LONGER, TOGETHER.

By analyzing brain tissue from 94 species - including solitary, pair-living and group-living mammals - the researchers also identified 31 genes linked both to longevity and a species' social system. The finding, published in Nature Communications, held true for a wide array of species, from group-dwelling and long-lived golden snub-nosed monkeys (above), naked mole rats and horseshoe bats to solitary and shorter-lived giant armadillos and short-tailed shrews. In an analysis of scientific papers on the body masses, life spans and lifestyles of 974 species, Chinese zoologists found that mammals living in groups generally outlive solitary mammals. [Extracted from the article]