UF/IFAS Research on Crocodiles Provides Key Insights on Wildlife Aging

Many wildlife scientists worldwide need to know why certain species live longer than others. If they know the reasons behind longevity, scientists can provide vital management data to help conserve species.

Scientists at the UF/IFAS Fort Lauderdale Research and Education Center (FLREC) contributed critical research over the last 40 years of American crocodiles to a global comparative study on longevity, aging and mortality in ectothermic tetrapods.

The study, published in the journal Science, represents the first data compilation of its kind using 107 populations of 77 species from 98 research institutions. The study provides a comparative analysis of mortality in the wild – a missing piece of the puzzle in science until now.

“Just as we contemplate human evolution and mortality rates to improve longevity in science, having long-term records on these species provides a comparative history to better understand the factors, limitations and possible trends that shape aging and longevity in the wild,” said Venetia Briggs-Gonzalez, a senior research biologist who works at the Croc Docs Laboratory at FLREC.

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