Researchers from the University of Glasgow (UK) managed to extend the life of koluskap, slightly slowing their growth at an early age. Moreover, the increase of life has been quite substantial - up to 30%.

The development of the fish, as you know, depends on the temperature of the environment, and zoologists could speed up or slow down the growth of the fry by simply placing them in warm or cold water. In such water of Kalousek kept for long: soon returned to normal temperature.

According to researchers in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B, fish that grow faster, and lived at 15% less. It is important to stress that the size of the body and those of the other by the time puberty were the same, that is, those Kalousek, which slightly slowed in development, then gently pushed that they caught up with the others. That is, a moderate slowdown in growth led to a significant increase in life, and the same slight acceleration, on the contrary, to reduce it.

Professor Neil Metcalf, who led the study compares it with the two cars: if one is collected carefully and slowly, and he is long, and the other hastily gather, and it quickly breaks down. To the body fast growth means more damage accumulation in cells and tissues, rapid growth is fast and wear, which ultimately affects life expectancy.

Of course, the fish organism different from the body, such as mammals, but researchers are confident that describes the relationship between the growth rate and life expectancy applies to all animals. We know, for example, that children who grow too quickly, often have in the future health problems. The dependence of the lifetime of growth tried to check experimentally, but used different diets. The results resisted explanation, as extended or shortened lifespan could be attributed not on growth, and on the food itself. Scientists from Glasgow for the first time managed to put such an experiment and to avoid ambiguity in his interpretation - but still only on the fish.

Based on the materials of the University of Glasgow.