Are you socially active? Study says it can stretch your lifespan

The study observed that highly social animals have a better lifespan and reproductive window than lesser social animals.

The ones we hang out with shapes our life patterns, states a recent study led by Rob Salguero-Gómez, University of Oxford. Social interactions have always been in the forefront of discussions about lifestyle patterns. Animals tend to live in societal setups because of shared resources, protection from predators, and help in raising offsprings together. However, on the other hand, living in large groups can have the risk of faster transmission of diseases, competition for food resources and conflicts.

Results of the study

The study explored 152 animal species across 13 taxonomic classes, from jellyfish to humans to understand how social interactions can shape life patterns across the animal kingdom. The animals were divided into five categories depending on the level of socialising they are in. One category was dedicated to tigers and cheetahs – animals that tend to spend their alone. The second category were gregarious animals such as wild beasts and zebras that stay in loose groups. The third category was communal animals such as purple martins that share nesting areas. The fourth category was for colonial species such as wasps and coral polyps that always share their nesting areas with others. The last category was for highly social animals such as elephants and honeybees that have complex social structures and shared breeding patterns.

Disadvantages of being highly social

While the study observed more population resilience among highly social animals and their ability to resist environmental disturbances, they also demonstrated lower ability to take advantage of favourable conditions. In this area, lesser social animals demonstrated their expertise.

Lead author Rob Salguero-Gómez, an associate professor with Oxford’s Department of Biology, in a statement, said that the study demonstrated that highly social beings have longer life span than lesser social animals. This study is in relevance to the post-COVID era where human beings are also experiencing social isolation.