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Phoenix666 [soylentnews.org] writes:

Why does a great dane have a shorter lifespan than a pug? The answer lies in a complex relationship between energy usage and lifespan. That relationship is quickly being unraveled through the use of numerical modeling by a researcher at Missouri University of Science and Technology [phys.org].

By using the principles of energy conservation and allometric scaling laws, Dr. Chen Hou has developed a theoretical model that can measure aging on the basis of energy expenditure. Hou has found that growth carries a tradeoff with health maintenance, and that previous research in the area is not as straightforward as once thought.

"Past studies of metabolic rates have yielded conflicting results when comparing different species and introducing diet restrictions," says Hou, an assistant professor of biological sciences at Missouri S&T. "My model shows that energy used during growth is the key to understanding longevity."

Hou's research shows that oxidative metabolism affects cellular damage and longevity in different ways in animals with different life histories and under varying experimental conditions. For example, he compares the birth mass of a greater Swiss mountain dog to that of a silky terrier as an example. A greater Swiss is born at only one percent of its final weight, whereas the terrier already weighs in at eight percent of its final weight at birth. That percentage difference means that the greater Swiss must use more energy to grow to full adulthood, relatively less energy for health maintenance and therefore have a shorter lifespan than the terrier.

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