Why do women live longer than men?Scientists finally have a surprising explanation

Women around the world live longer than men.The study sheds new light on this biological mystery.

All over the world, women live longer than men.This universal observation, applicable to all cultures and eras, has influenced researchers for decades.At the end of life, the gap between the sexes often spans several years, and it is not just a male trait.In many animal species, females enjoy very long lives.But why?of thousands, reveals that these differences are not the result of chance, but a powerful evolutionary inheritance.

Mammals, male and female for boys

To understand this, researchers at the Planck Institute Forty and their colleagues studied wildlife and bird species with fascinating lives.Their goal: Use different methods to compare male and female mortality under conditions where environmental risks (disease, predators, climate) are reduced.

The results are astounding.Among mammals, females outnumber males by an average of 12%.This advantage persists even in zoos, suggesting that it is a deeply ingrained trait and not the result of environmental threats.In contrast, the trend is opposite in birds.males outnumber females by an average of 5%.

This face is amazing.Why do the two closely related groups of bones have such contrasting patterns?The key may lie in the genes, and even more so, in the way the sex chromosomes are organized.

The role of chromosomes in sexuality

One of the main hypotheses of researchers is heterogametic sex.In mammals, men have two different chromosomes (x and y), while women have two x chromosomes. But this double copy would offer a kind of protection: if one chromosome has a harmful mutation, the second can compensate for it.This safety net will increase the life expectancy of women.

In birds, it's the other way around: females have different chromosomes (z and v), while males have the same two zs.

However, this genetic explanation is not sufficient.Researchers have found many exceptions.Beware of birds of prey, other factors - environmental, behavioral and reproductive - strongly influence the longevity of the sex.

Reproduced as the key to the puzzle

Evolutionary Biology offers another way: the strategy of innovation.In mammals, males often face intense competition for access to females.This leads to risky behavior, excessive stress, and the development of traits that are costly to the body, such as large size or natural weapons.The result: their age is reduced.

On the other hand, women invest massively in pregnancy, breastfeeding, and their children's education.Living longer gives them an evolutionary advantage: they can protect their offspring until they become independent, thus ensuring the survival of their genes.In some primates, this effect is especially pronounced.

On the bird side, the roles are often different.Many species are monogamous and share parental responsibility.Males do not exhaust themselves with constant fighting and spend more energy on care, which contributes to their greater longevity.The study therefore confirms that reproduction is not just a matter of rough offspring: it creates, in the long term, the life paths of both sexes.

An evolving legacy that concerns us all

The authors of the study claim that even in captivity, where animals are protected from external threats, the gap between the sexes persists.In other words, this difference in longevity is not a simple product of the environment, but a trait deeply rooted in evolutionary history.

The development of medicine and the improvement of living conditions in people have reduced some of the gaps, but not by any means.Women live longer than men in all modern societies.According to researchers, if it is shared from the evolutionary past with other primitives such as chimpanzees and gorillas, perhaps the importance of women in life is already visible.

These findings do not provide a single answer, but they provide a more complete picture: sexual longevity is a product of the interaction of genetics, sexual competition, parental roles, and evolutionary history.By understanding these mechanisms better, scientists hope to one day explain why, despite all the advances in medicine, women still live longer than men.