Bonjour,
Dans le dernier HerpDigest, on retrouve un petit article sur la longévité exceptionnelle du protée anguillard (Proteus anguinus). Je suis allé chercher l'article scientifique original et c'est assez fascinant. J'ai mis le résumé ci-dessous. Voici également le lien pour télécharger gratuitement l'article: http://rsbl.royalsocietypublishing.org/content/early/2010/07/20/rsbl.2010.0539
Extreme lifespan of the human fish (Proteus anguinus): a challenge for ageing mechanisms
Theories of extreme lifespan evolution in vertebrates commonly implicate large size and predator-free environments together with physiological characteristics like low metabolism and high protection against oxidative damages. Here, we show that the ‘human fish’ (olm, Proteus anguinus), a small cave salamander (weighing 15–20 g), has evolved an extreme life-history strategy with a predicted maximum lifespan of over 100 years, an adult average lifespan of 68.5 years, an age at sexual maturity of 15.6 years and lays, on average, 35 eggs every 12.5 years. Surprisingly, neither its basal metabolism nor antioxidant activities explain why this animal sits as an outlier in the amphibian size/longevity relationship. This species thus raises questions regarding ageing processes and constitutes a promising model for discovering mechanisms preventing senescence in vertebrates.
Source:
Voituron, Y., de Fraipont, M., Issartel, J. Guillaume, O. et Clobert, J. 2010. Extreme lifespan of the human fish (Proteus anguinus): a challenge for ageing mechanisms. Biology Letters: publié en ligne le 21 juillet 2010.
Mathieu
Sujet: Protée anguillard: longévité exceptionnelle 
Sam 24 Juil 2010 - 15:47
