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Arthur T Knackerbracket has found the following story:
According to popular theory, men live shorter lives than women because they take bigger risks, have more dangerous jobs, drink and smoke more, and are poor at seeking advice from doctors.
But research by scientists at UNSW Sydney suggests the real reason may be less related to human behaviour and more to do with the type of sex chromosomes we share with most animal species.
In a study published today in Biology Letters, researchers from UNSW Science's School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences analysed all available academic literature on sex chromosomes and lifespan—and they tried to establish whether there was a pattern of one sex outliving the other that was repeated across the animal kingdom.
Specifically, they wanted to test the 'unguarded X hypothesis' which suggests that the Y chromosome in heterogametic sexes—those with XY (male) sex chromosomes rather than XX (female) sex chromosomes—is less able to protect an individual from harmful genes expressed on the X chromosome. The hypothesis suggests that, as the Y chromosome is smaller than the X chromosome, and in some cases absent, it is unable to 'hide' an X chromosome that carries harmful mutations, which may later expose the individual to health threats.
Conversely, there is no such problem in a pair of homogametic chromosomes (XX), where a healthy X chromosome can stand in for another X that has deleterious genes to ensure those harmful genes aren't expressed, thus maximising the length of life for the organism.
First author on the paper and Ph.D. student Zoe Xirocostas says that after examining the lifespan data available on a wide range of animal species, it appears that the unguarded X hypothesis stacks up. This is the first time that scientists have tested the hypothesis across the board in animal taxonomy; previously it was tested only within a few groups of animals.
Zoe A. Xirocostas et al. The sex with the reduced sex chromosome dies earlier: a comparison across the tree of life, Biology Letters (2020). DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2019.0867
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(Score: 2, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday March 05 2020, @10:31PM (3 children)
There are exceptions to every rule, but the rule is that women keep a large multicore database of all their partners's mistakes and have 3 layers of data backups.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday March 05 2020, @11:06PM (2 children)
I think I remember reading a study that men actually take longer than women to get over things (I think the study mentioned breakups specifically). It says the difference is that women vent out their frustrations more aggressively in a shorter period of time early on (so they may bother you about it every day for a week) and then they get over it whereas men hold it in (and perhaps let it bottle up) but never really get over it so the effect it has on their behavior lasts longer.
(Score: 2) by Bot on Thursday March 05 2020, @11:43PM
Was it a study made by a woman, perchance?
Account abandoned.
(Score: 2) by MostCynical on Friday March 06 2020, @02:23AM
Men argue, fight, and move on.
Women remember, forever, and never really forgive.
"I guess once you start doubting, there's no end to it." -Batou, Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex