According to new research on wild bottlenose dolphins, close friendships might be a key factor in slowing cellular aging.
A study published in Communications Biology examined male Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins in Shark Bay, Western Australia. These dolphins have a track record of forming long-term friendships with other males.
Well, more like strategic alliances. These alliances can last decades and are essential for navigating competition over mates. Research shows that some dolphins invest heavily in those partnerships while others remain comparatively solitary.
The difference between the two could literally be seen inside their cells.
How Dolphins Slow Down Aging—and Whether It Could Work for Humans
Researchers analyzed skin samples from 38 male dolphins, ranging from newborns to nearly 30 years old. They used DNA methylation to calculate “epigenetic age”—that’s the molecular estimate of how worn down the body really is, as opposed to how many birthdays it’s had. If you’re 25 but feel 45, that could be noticeable deep down in your cells.
Dolphins with stronger, more consistent friendships showed significantly younger biological ages than those with fewer social relationships. When averaged out, dolphins with stronger bonds were biologically about 1.7 years younger than dolphins of the same chronological age.
The researchers also found that too much of a good thing could be bad. Spending time in larger male groups was linked to faster aging, though that result was less consistent. In other words, quality beats quantity. It’s better to have a few good close friends than an abundance of terrible ones.
Competition among males is fierce as they vie for the right to reproduce with females, which happens infrequently. Traveling in large groups helps protect against predators but also produces more stress and rivalry. But tightly knit partnerships reduce some of that stress by offering some social predictability in an environment that would otherwise be a hyper-competitive nightmare.
The researchers are careful not to claim friendship directly causes slower aging. It could be as simple as healthier dolphins are just better at maintaining relationships. Or, the researchers suggest, it’s more likely that the two ideas reinforce one another. Good health supports social bonds, and strong bonds help protect health.
Either way, it’s probably not a bad thing to do as the dolphins do and find some bros to call your own.
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