Daily Archives: January 14, 2014

Human beings and other primates have an extremely slow metabolism rate. They burn almost 50 percent fewer calories each day than other mammals, which is why they have a longer lifespan, say scientists.

The key to longevity is a slow metabolism rate, say scientists.

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Humans and other primates burn 50 percent fewer calories each day than other mammals and due to their low metabolism rate, they have a longer life span, according to a paper published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Overall, 17 primate species, such as humans, gorillas, and mouse lemurs were examined for the purpose of the study.

The international group of scientists who carried out the study worked with animals in zoos, sanctuaries in Africa, and in the wild.

Daily energy expenditure of the primates was calculated using a technique called "doubly labeled water," Herman Pontzer, an anthropologist at Hunter College in New York and the lead author of the study, told The Monitor.

Water contains hydrogen and oxygen. Some of the hydrogen and oxygen in the water were being replaced with their variants, also called isotopes, Dr. Pontzer says. After animals drink water, these isotopes would then act as tracers and their presence could be found in their urine. By determining the concentration of isotopes from the urine sample, Pontzer and his team determined how much carbon dioxide the body produced. Over a 10-day period, scientists measured the number of calories primates burned, says Pontzer.

Comparing the results of the experiment with similar data from other studies, the team compared daily energy expenditure among primates to that of other mammals, according to a press release by Chicago's Lincoln Park Zoo. Chimpanzees and gorillasfrom the zoo were examined for the study.

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What is the secret to your longevity?

Jan. 13, 2014 New research shows that humans and other primates burn 50% fewer calories each day than other mammals. The study, published January 13 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, suggests that these remarkably slow metabolisms explain why humans and other primates grow up so slowly and live such long lives. The study also reports that primates in zoos expend as much energy as those in the wild, suggesting that physical activity may have less of an impact on daily energy expenditure than is often thought.

Most mammals, like the family dog or pet hamster, live a fast-paced life, reaching adulthood in a matter of months, reproducing prodigiously (if we let them), and dying in their teens if not well before. By comparison, humans and our primate relatives (apes, monkeys, tarsiers, lorises, and lemurs) have long childhoods, reproduce infrequently, and live exceptionally long lives. Primates' slow pace of life has long puzzled biologists because the mechanisms underlying it were unknown.

An international team of scientists working with primates in zoos, sanctuaries, and in the wild examined daily energy expenditure in 17 primate species, from gorillas to mouse lemurs, to test whether primates' slow pace of life results from a slow metabolism. Using a safe and non-invasive technique known as "doubly labeled water," which tracks the body's production of carbon dioxide, the researchers measured the number of calories that primates burned over a 10 day period. Combining these measurements with similar data from other studies, the team compared daily energy expenditure among primates to that of other mammals.

"The results were a real surprise," said Herman Pontzer, an anthropologist at Hunter College in New York and the lead author of the study. "Humans, chimpanzees, baboons, and other primates expend only half the calories we'd expect for a mammal. To put that in perspective, a human -- even someone with a very physically active lifestyle -- would need to run a marathon each day just to approach the average daily energy expenditure of a mammal their size."

This dramatic reduction in metabolic rate, previously unknown for primates, accounts for their slow pace of life. All organisms need energy to grow and reproduce, and energy expenditure can also contribute to aging. The slow rates of growth, reproduction, and aging among primates match their slow rate of energy expenditure, indicating that evolution has acted on metabolic rate to shape primates' distinctly slow lives.

"The environmental conditions favoring reduced energy expenditures may hold a key to understanding why primates, including humans, evolved this slower pace of life," said David Raichlen, an anthropologist at the University of Arizona and a coauthor of the study.

Perhaps just as surprising, the team's measurements show that primates in captivity expend as many calories each day as their wild counterparts. These results speak to the health and well-being of primates in world-class zoos and sanctuaries, and they also suggest that physical activity may contribute less to total energy expenditure than is often thought.

"The completion of this non-invasive study of primate metabolism in zoos and sanctuaries demonstrates the depth of research potential for these settings. It also sheds light on the fact that zoo-housed primates are relatively active, with the same daily energy expenditures as wild primates," said coauthor Steve Ross, Director of the Lester E. Fisher Center for the Study and Conservation of Apes at Chicago's Lincoln Park Zoo. "Dynamic accredited zoo and sanctuary environments represent an alternative to traditional laboratory-based investigations and emphasize the importance of studying animals in more naturalistic conditions."

Results from this study hold intriguing implications for understanding health and longevity in humans. Linking the rate of growth, reproduction, and aging to daily energy expenditure may shed light on the processes by which our bodies develop and age. And unraveling the surprisingly complex relationship between physical activity and daily energy expenditure may improve our understanding of obesity and other metabolic diseases.

More detailed study of energy expenditure, activity, and aging among humans and apes is already underway. "Humans live longer than other apes, and tend to carry more body fat," said Pontzer. "Understanding how human metabolism compares to our closest relatives will help us understand how our bodies evolved, and how to keep them healthy."

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Primate growing up with half the calories: New understanding about human health and longevity

New York, Jan 14 (IANS): In a discovery that can lead to new understanding about human health and longevity, researchers have found that humans and other primates burn 50 percent fewer calories each day than other mammals. Humans, chimpanzees, baboons and other primates expend only half the calories we would expect for a mammal.

To put that in perspective, a human - even someone with a very physically active lifestyle - would need to run a marathon each day just to approach the average daily energy expenditure of a mammal their size, said Herman Pontzer, an anthropologist at Hunter College in New York and the lead author of the study.

These remarkably slow metabolisms explain why humans and other primates grow up so slowly and live such long lives.

Most mammals, like the family dog, live a fast-paced life, reaching adulthood in a matter of months, reproducing prodigiously and dying in their teens if not well before.

By comparison, humans and our primate relatives (apes, monkeys, lorises, and lemurs) have long childhoods, reproduce infrequently, and live exceptionally long lives, said the study published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Scientists examined daily energy expenditure in 17 primate species - from gorillas to mouse lemurs - to test whether primates' slow pace of life results from a slow metabolism.

Using a safe and non-invasive technique known as 'doubly labeled water', - which tracks the body's production of carbon dioxide - the researchers measured the number of calories that primates burned over a 10-day period.

The results were a real surprise. This dramatic reduction in metabolic rate, previously unknown for primates, accounts for their slow pace of life, said Pontzer.

The research also sheds light on the fact that zoo-housed primates are relatively active, with the same daily energy expenditures as wild primates, said co-author Steve Ross from Chicago's Lincoln Park Zoo.

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Humans burn only half the calories daily

PUBLIC RELEASE DATE:

13-Jan-2014

Contact: Sharon Dewar sdewar@lpzoo.org 312-742-2246 Lincoln Park Zoo

(Chicago Jan. 13, 2014) -- New research shows that humans and other primates burn 50% fewer calories each day than other mammals. The study, published January 13 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, suggests that these remarkably slow metabolisms explain why humans and other primates grow up so slowly and live such long lives. The study also reports that primates in zoos expend as much energy as those in the wild, suggesting that physical activity may have less of an impact on daily energy expenditure than is often thought.

Most mammals, like the family dog or pet hamster, live a fast-paced life, reaching adulthood in a matter of months, reproducing prodigiously (if we let them), and dying in their teens if not well before. By comparison, humans and our primate relatives (apes, monkeys, tarsiers, lorises, and lemurs) have long childhoods, reproduce infrequently, and live exceptionally long lives. Primates' slow pace of life has long puzzled biologists because the mechanisms underlying it were unknown.

An international team of scientists working with primates in zoos, sanctuaries, and in the wild examined daily energy expenditure in 17 primate species, from gorillas to mouse lemurs, to test whether primates' slow pace of life results from a slow metabolism. Using a safe and non-invasive technique known as "doubly labeled water," which tracks the body's production of carbon dioxide, the researchers measured the number of calories that primates burned over a 10 day period. Combining these measurements with similar data from other studies, the team compared daily energy expenditure among primates to that of other mammals.

"The results were a real surprise," said Herman Pontzer, an anthropologist at Hunter College in New York and the lead author of the study. "Humans, chimpanzees, baboons, and other primates expend only half the calories we'd expect for a mammal. To put that in perspective, a human even someone with a very physically active lifestyle would need to run a marathon each day just to approach the average daily energy expenditure of a mammal their size."

This dramatic reduction in metabolic rate, previously unknown for primates, accounts for their slow pace of life. All organisms need energy to grow and reproduce, and energy expenditure can also contribute to aging. The slow rates of growth, reproduction, and aging among primates match their slow rate of energy expenditure, indicating that evolution has acted on metabolic rate to shape primates' distinctly slow lives.

"The environmental conditions favoring reduced energy expenditures may hold a key to understanding why primates, including humans, evolved this slower pace of life," said David Raichlen, an anthropologist at the University of Arizona and a coauthor of the study.

Perhaps just as surprising, the team's measurements show that primates in captivity expend as many calories each day as their wild counterparts. These results speak to the health and well-being of primates in world-class zoos and sanctuaries, and they also suggest that physical activity may contribute less to total energy expenditure than is often thought.

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Primates: Now with only half the calories!

Posted: Monday, January 13, 2014, 4:00 PM

MONDAY, Jan. 13, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Humans and other primates burn 50 percent fewer calories a day than other mammals, and this slow metabolism may explain why they grow so slowly and live much longer than other mammals, according to a new study.

Researchers assessed the amount of calories burned per day in 17 primate species ranging from gorillas to mouse lemurs. They lived in zoos, sanctuaries and in the wild.

"The results were a real surprise," study author Herman Pontzer, an anthropologist at Hunter College in New York City, said in a college news release.

"Humans, chimpanzees, baboons, and other primates expend only half the calories we'd expect for a mammal. To put that in perspective, a human -- even someone with a very physically active lifestyle -- would need to run a marathon each day just to approach the average daily energy expenditure of a mammal their size," he explained.

The study also found that primates in captivity burn as many calories a day as those in the wild. This suggests that physical activity may have less of an impact on daily energy expenditure than previously believed, the researchers pointed out.

The findings, published in this week's issue of journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, could help improve understanding of human health and longevity.

For example, connecting the rate of growth, reproduction and aging to daily energy output may increase knowledge about the processes behind body development and aging. And further investigation into the relationship between physical activity and daily energy expenditure may improve understanding of obesity and other metabolic diseases, according to the researchers.

The investigators are now taking a closer look at energy output, physical activity and aging among humans and apes.

Read more from the original source:
Humans, Other Primates Burn Fewer Calories Than Other Mammals

New research shows that humans and other primates burn 50% fewer calories each day than other mammals. The study, published January 13 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, suggests that these remarkably slow metabolisms explain why humans and other primates grow up so slowly and live such long lives. The study also reports that primates in zoos expend as much energy as those in the wild, suggesting that physical activity may have less of an impact on daily energy expenditure than is often thought.

Most mammals, like the family dog or pet hamster, live a fast- paced life, reaching adulthood in a matter of months, reproducing prodigiously (if we let them), and dying in their teens if not well before. By comparison, humans and our primate relatives (apes, monkeys, tarsiers, lorises, and lemurs) have long childhoods, reproduce infrequently, and live exceptionally long lives. Primates' slow pace of life has long puzzled biologists because the mechanisms underlying it were unknown.

An international team of scientists working with primates in zoos, sanctuaries, and in the wild examined daily energy expenditure in 17 primate species, from gorillas to mouse lemurs, to test whether primates' slow pace of life results from a slow metabolism. Using a safe and non-invasive technique known as "doubly labeled water," which tracks the body's production of carbon dioxide, the researchers measured the number of calories that primates burned over a 10-day period. Combining these measurements with similar data from other studies, the team compared daily energy expenditure among primates to that of other mammals.

"The results were a real surprise," said Herman Pontzer, an anthropologist at Hunter College in New York and the lead author of the study. "Humans, chimpanzees, baboons, and other primates expend only half the calories we'd expect for a mammal. To put that in perspective, a human even someone with a very physically active lifestyle would need to run a marathon each day just to approach the average daily energy expenditure of a mammal their size."

This dramatic reduction in metabolic rate, previously unknown for primates, accounts for their slow pace of life. All organisms need energy to grow and reproduce, and energy expenditure can also contribute to aging. The slow rates of growth, reproduction, and aging among primates match their slow rate of energy expenditure, indicating that evolution has acted on metabolic rate to shape primates' distinctly slow lives.

Read more at the Lincoln Park Zoo.

Gorilla image via Shutterstock.

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Burning fewer calories: the elixir for longevity