Species that are more social live longer and reproduce more effectively, according to new research.
The study, led by Rob Salguero-Gómez of the University of Oxford, reveals that social species, such as meerkats and honeybees, live longer and reproduce for a greater timespan. This is the first study on this topic that spans the animal kingdom, from jellyfish to humans.
How can being social help animals live longer?
Living in social groups can bring about many benefits including sharing resources, better protection against predators, and support in raising offspring. However, living in close quarters can increase risks of disease transmission, competition for resources, and social conflicts. Despite these challenges, the study suggests the pros of social living appear to outweigh the cons.
Researchers assessed the link between sociality and different life history traits such as generation time, life expectancy, and the length of their reproductive window. Up to now, research exploring the impacts of sociality on performance has focused on single species or groups, such as birds or some mammals. This new study takes a wider view, examining how social behavior influences life patterns across the entire animal kingdom.
Results of the study showed that more social species, such as elephants and most primates, live longer, postpone maturity, and are more likely to reproduce successfully than more solitary species, such as the tiger.
While social species may not be the best to adapt and benefit from a rapidly changing environment, they are often more resilient as a group. This novel finding supports the hypotheses that, even though sociality comes with some obvious costs, the overall benefits are greater.
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Lead author of the study Professor Salguero-Gómez said, “Sociality is a fundamental aspect of many animals. However, we still lack cross-taxonomic evidence of the fitness costs and benefits of being social. Here, by using an unprecedented number of animal species this work has demonstrated that species that are more social (most monkeys, humans, elephants, flamingos, and parrots) display longer life spans and reproductive windows than more solitary species.”
In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, this study reminds us of the benefits of being social creatures.
Professor Salguero-Gómez said, “In a post-COVID era, where the impacts of isolation have been quite tangible to humans (a highly social species), the research demonstrates that, across a comparative lens, being more social is associated with some tangible benefits."
Going forward, further research by the team is looking to combine the data with lab work and further modelling to estimate how more social populations buffer (or fail to) against climate change.