Have you ever wondered why it seems like women live longer than men? It’s a question that pops up a lot, and it’s not just a coincidence. There’s a lot of talk about how females have a longer lifetime than males, with grandmas outliving grandpas and studies indicating the same pattern. Let’s look at why this happens and what could be causing the disparities in longevity between the sexes.
What Does the Study Say About It?
According to a University of Exeter study, male flies die earlier than female flies while competing for mates and facing survival obstacles. This research contributes to a better understanding of how aging occurs.
The study, which was published in the journal Functional Ecology, examined fly populations of Drosophila simulans that developed under various settings. It shown that male flies are more affected by competition for mates (sexual selection) and survival (natural selection), shortening their lifetime by around one-third.
Some species, like these flies, age quickly in days, while others, like some trees and whales, age slowly over centuries.
Professor David Hosken from the University of Exeter said, “We saw big differences in how sexual and natural selection affected male and female flies. These results might explain why males and females live different lengths of time in many species, including humans, and why aging patterns vary in nature.”
The flies were put in conditions with high or low sexual and natural selection pressures. To increase sexual selection, groups of males were kept with single females. Stressful temperatures were used to increase natural selection. Male flies attract females by singing, dancing, and smelling good, but these efforts are costly and even more so under stressful temperatures.
The study showed that with low sexual and natural selection, male and female flies lived about the same – around 35 days. But males under high sexual and natural selection lived much shorter – just 24 days, dying seven days earlier than females in the same conditions.
Both sexual and natural selection affected lifespan, but males were affected the most. The findings show that males and females can respond differently to the same pressures.
The study was funded by the Natural Environment Research Council, the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council, and the Royal Society.
Is It Scientifically Proved?
Yes, it is scientifically observed that in many species, including humans, females tend to live longer than males. Several research have confirmed this phenomenon, which can be attributable to a variety of factors.
- Biological Factors: Hormonal changes have a substantial impact. For example, estrogen in females protects the cardiovascular system, but testosterone in males might lead to risky behaviors and health consequences.
- Genetic Factors: Females have two X chromosomes, which may confer a genetic advantage. If one X chromosome has a damaging mutation, the other may frequently compensate, but men, who have one X and one Y chromosome, lack this backup.
- Behavioral Factors: Men are more prone to participate in risky behaviors such as smoking, binge drinking, and harmful activities, which can increase mortality rates.
- Health Care Utilization: Women tend to use health care services more than males, resulting in early discovery and treatment of health disorders.
- Social and Environmental Factors: Gender differences in stress levels, job risks, and lifestyle choices contribute to life expectancy discrepancies.
Overall, while the exact reasons can vary and are often complex, the trend of females living longer than males is well-documented across many populations and species.
References
- University of Exeter – https://news-archive.exeter.ac.uk/ – https://news-archive.exeter.ac.uk/
- National Library of Medicine – https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/ – New Perspective on Why Women Live Longer Than Men
- Harvard Health Publishing – https://www.health.harvard.edu/ – Why men often die earlier than women
