Most research on mechanisms of aging is being conducted in a very limited number of
classical model species, ie, laboratory mouse (Mus musculus), rat (Rattus norvegicus …

Publisher Summary This chapter presents a discussion on the reliability theory of aging and
longevity. In reliability theory, aging is defined as a phenomenon of increasing risk of failure …

Maximum lifespan in birds and mammals varies strongly with body mass such that large
species tend to live longer than smaller species. However, many species live far longer than …

Why females of some species cease ovulation before the end of their natural lifespan is a
longstanding evolutionary puzzle. For many species in captivity, post-reproductive life is …

Bats and birds live substantially longer on average than non-flying mammals of similar body
size. The combination of small body size, high metabolic rates, and long lifespan in bats and …

A majority of viruses that have caused recent epidemics with high lethality rates in people,
are zoonoses originating from wildlife. Among them are filoviruses (eg, Marburg, Ebola) …

Background During the last ten years, major advances have been made in characterizing
and understanding the evolution of mitochondrial DNA, the most popular marker of …

For the past 50 years, the Japanese quail (Coturnix japonica) has been a popular animal
model in numerous fields of research. The quail's 16-d developmental period and its easily …

Japanese quail originated from the wildlife environment and was first domesticated in Japan
in 1595. Japanese quail has widely distributed in various parts of the world. This bird is …

Birds (Aves) are the most speciose of terrestrial vertebrates, displaying Class-specific
characteristics yet incredible external phenotypic diversity. Critical to agriculture and as …