The article explores the relationship between body size evolution and cancer prevalence in birds and mammals. It highlights that species like cetaceans, which evolve quickly to larger sizes, exhibit lower cancer rates than expected. This suggests that rapid evolution may confer adaptive mechanisms for cancer resistance, countering the traditional understanding of Cope's rule. Although humans have a similar rapid evolutionary history, the complexity of human cancer makes direct comparisons challenging. The findings suggest potential insights for human medicine, particularly from studying species with low cancer prevalence, like the naked mole rat.
Larger species that evolved quickly have developed mechanisms to reduce cancer prevalences, indicating that the evolution of body size and cancer resistance are interconnected.
While larger body sizes increase cancer risk, species that reach such sizes rapidly may have developed biological mechanisms to mitigate that risk.
The evolutionary rate of larger species like cetaceans suggests that the pace of evolution is influenced by the threat of cancer.
Research into species like the naked mole rat reveals vital insights that could aid in advancing human cancer prevention and treatment.
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