title: Extreme lifespan of the human fish (Proteus anguinus): a challenge for ageing mechanisms.
abstract: Theories of extreme lifespan evolution in vertebrates commonly implicate large size and predator-free environments together with physiological characteristics like low metabolism and high protection against oxidative damages. Here, we show that the 'human fish' (olm, Proteus anguinus), a small cave salamander (weighing 15-20 g), has evolved an extreme life-history strategy with a predicted maximum lifespan of over 100 years, an adult average lifespan of 68.5 years, an age at sexual maturity of 15.6 years and lays, on average, 35 eggs every 12.5 years. Surprisingly, neither its basal metabolism nor antioxidant activities explain why this animal sits as an outlier in the amphibian size/longevity relationship. This species thus raises questions regarding ageing processes and constitutes a promising model for discovering mechanisms preventing senescence in vertebrates.
authors.affiliation: Ecologie des Hydrosystèmes Fluviaux, UMR CNRS 5023, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Université de Lyon, 69622 Villeurbanne cedex, France. voituron@univ-lyonl.fr
authors.forename: Yann
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Voituron
authors.forename: Michelle
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: de Fraipont
authors.forename: Julien
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Issartel
authors.forename: Olivier
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Guillaume
authors.forename: Jean
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Clobert
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004734:Energy Metabolism; D008136:Longevity / Q000502:physiology*; D012098:Reproduction; D012741:Sexual Maturation; D014562:Caudata / Q000502:physiology*