How lifespan-shifting insects are driving aging research

Do our social roles impact our life span?

Bees, termites, and ants can teach us a lot about cooperation, communication and the skills that keep societies together. But these social insects may also hold secrets that could reshape our understanding of human aging.

Many social insects exhibit surprising aging characteristics that cause their life spans to shift depending on their roles. Following the death of a queen Indian jumping ant, for example, workers fight for the right to transform into an egg-laying ant. Much is at stake: the life expectancy of an egg layer is five times longer than that of a worker’s.

Though fruit flies, mice, and nematodes currently dominate aging research, some scientists say social insects’ aging behaviours could help dissect aging mechanisms in humans.

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