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Do large dogs die young?
- Source :
- Journal of experimental zoology. Part B, Molecular and developmental evolution. 308(2)
- Publication Year :
- 2006
-
Abstract
- In most animal taxa, longevity increases with body size across species, as predicted by the oxidative stress theory of aging. In contrast, in within-species comparisons of mammals and especially domestic dogs (e.g. Patronek et al., '97; Michell, '99; Egenvall et al., 2000; Speakman et al., 2003), longevity decreases with body size. We explore two datasets for dogs and find support for a negative relationship between size and longevity if we consider variation across breeds. Within breeds, however, the relationship is not negative and is slightly, but significantly, positive in the larger of the two datasets. The negative across-breed relationship is probably the consequence of short life spans in large breeds. Artificial selection for extremely high growth rates in large breeds appears to have led to developmental diseases that seriously diminish longevity.
- Subjects :
- Databases, Factual
media_common.quotation_subject
Longevity
Zoology
Body size
Biology
Short life
Dogs
Species Specificity
Negative relationship
Genetics
Linear Models
Molecular Medicine
Animals
Body Size
Animal Science and Zoology
Mortality
Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics
Developmental Biology
media_common
Subjects
Details
- ISSN :
- 15525007
- Volume :
- 308
- Issue :
- 2
- Database :
- OpenAIRE
- Journal :
- Journal of experimental zoology. Part B, Molecular and developmental evolution
- Accession number :
- edsair.doi.dedup.....a8a523a541d89c7c2bbc55b81220d031