ArticleBMC biology2026
Reconstructing mammalian lifespan evolution reveals strong phylogenetic effects and lifespan-associated genes.
Article in BMC biology, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
0 citing papers in PubMed.
No citing paper in PubMed yet.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
5 authors.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundDespite the extraordinary diversity in mammalian lifespans, the evolutionary trajectories and underlying molecular mechanisms governing this variation remain largely uncharacterized.
resultsBy reconstructing maximum lifespan evolution across 968 mammalian species, we found that ~ 23 lineages evolved relatively longer lifespans, while ~ 25 evolved relatively shorter lifespans. To understand the phylogenetic influence on lifespan evolution, we tested 9 evolutionary models and found that Pagel's lambda was the most suitable, indicating a strong effect of shared evolutionary histories on the evolution of mammalian lifespans. Through comparative genomic analysis of 15,231 one-to-one ortholog genes across 122 mammalian species, we identified 628 genes associated with variation in relative lifespan (i.e., longevity quotient). Genes whose evolutionary rates negatively correlated with relative lifespans were enriched for functions related to cell division and DNA repair, whereas those with positive correlations were primarily involved in ion transport and muscle contraction. In vivo experiments further validated the functional relevance of 11 candidate genes in C. elegans. In particular, inhibition of the phi-53 gene extended lifespan, which was associated with upregulation of genes enriched in immune-related functions and downregulation of genes enriched in reproduction-related functions.
conclusionsOur findings highlight the crucial role of phylogenetic history in shaping mammalian lifespan evolution and provide important molecular insights into the mechanisms governing lifespan variations in mammals.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.