Hibernation slows ageing in some bats

摘要

BATS may age more slowly during hibernation compared with when they are active. They are the second type of hibernating animal found to do this, alongside marmots. Gerald Wilkinson at the University of Maryland and his team used an existing technique to measure the accumulation of certain chemical labels on DNA to calculate biological age in a species of hibernating brown bat (Eptesicus fuscus). They found reduced signs of ageing biomarkers when hibernating (Proceedings of the Royal Society B, doi.org/h7w5).