善于社交可延长寿命

最新研究表明， 能和族群成员维持亲密关系的雌性狒狒，其寿命远远长于社会关系并不稳定的狒狒。这项发现于7月1日发布在Cell Press公司旗下刊物《当代生物学》的网站上，研究者表示这也进一步证实了小到老鼠，大到人类自身，社交能力都确实有适应性价值。
"Our results suggest that close, stable social relationships have significant reproductive benefits," said Joan Silk of the University of California, Los Angeles. "The data add to a growing body of evidence from humans and other animals that females with a strong, supportive social network are healthier and have greater reproductive success." 加州大学洛杉矶分校的琼·西尔克表示：“这项研究反映出拥有亲密稳定的社会关系对生殖繁衍很有好处。从人类和其他动物身上掌握的大量证据也证实，享有强大社会关系的雌性相比之下更健康，成功繁育后代的几率也更高。”
Silk said that she and her colleagues were surprised to discover that the effects are at least partially independent of a given female's status in the group. In other words, the benefits of social ties don't just derive from greater competitive ability or greater access to resources for those of higher dominance rank.西尔克说她和同事意外地发现，这种效应至少在一定程度上与族群中所处地位并无关联，也就是说，社会关系带来益处不仅仅取决于自身竞争力的大小或是统治地位的高低。
"Given that high-ranking females have priority of access to food resources, one might have predicted that rank would be the primary factor influencing longevity," said Dorothy Cheney of the University of Pennsylvania. "Our results indicate instead that the quality of a female's social bonds with other females is more important, suggesting that subordinate females may be able to offset the competitive disadvantage of low rank through their social relationships."宾夕法尼亚大学多萝西·切尼说：”由于地位高的雌狒狒能够优先获取食物资源，人们往往认为地位等级的高低是影响寿命的主要因素。然而调查结果却表明雌性狒狒与其他成员间社会联系的紧密程度更据影响力，地位低的雌狒狒可以通过建立社会关系来弥补地位的劣势。“
The quality and stability of baboon relationships trump quantity, the researchers say. Females who were able to maintain the same grooming partners from one year to the next lived longer and had more surviving offspring.研究人员表示狒狒间社会关系的质量与稳定程度比数量更关键。如果雌狒狒在一年内维持不变的梳理毛发的伙伴，它们的寿命会更长，存活下来的后代也更多。
Baboons most often form close bonds with relatives, the researchers said, and the stability of those connections is partly a matter of luck since lions and leopards often prey upon baboons. But it appears that isn't the whole story. The researchers found that 80 percent of females that switched close grooming partners from one year to the next did so despite that fact that their earlier companion was still in the group.研究者表示，狒狒通常会与亲属建立亲密的关系，不过由于狮子和豹子的捕食，使得这种关系的稳定性含有一定的运气成分。事实却也不尽然，研究人员发现，在第二年就更换了伙伴的雌狒狒中，有百分之八十们它们先前的伙伴仍在族群之内。
Silk and Cheney said they aren't exactly sure how the relationships lead baboons to live longer lives, but it might have something to do with lower stress levels in those with dedicated grooming partners. It's also possible that females with such networks are more likely to be resting and foraging near other animals, making them less vulnerable to predators.西尔克和切尼表示并不完全清楚社会关系是怎样令狒狒的寿命变长。有专一的伙伴来梳理毛发，这样的狒狒面对的压力较小，可能是与此有关。或许，有这种社会关系的雌狒狒更容易休息和觅食，也就不易受到食肉动物的侵害。
The findings in baboons may lend humans some added insight into our own social lives, the researchers said.研究者说，对狒狒的这项发现或许可以为研究人类自身社会生活提供借鉴。
"Having friends is important for us and for female baboons - and maybe for some of the same reasons," Silk said. "Our findings are strikingly similar to evidence from humans showing that social ties have important effects on our mental and physical health and our longevity. We suspect that the human motivation to form close and lasting friendships has a very long evolutionary history."西尔克说：”友谊对雌狒狒和我们都非常重要，这也许出于一些相同的原因。我们的发现与研究人类得出的发现惊人的相似，社会关系对我们的心理健康和生理健康以及寿命都有重要的影响。我推测，人类想要建立起亲密持久的友谊的动机是有着漫长的进化历史的。"
The researchers include Joan B. Silk, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA; Jacinta C. Beehner, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI; Thore J. Bergman, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI; Catherine Crockford, University of St. Andrews, St. Andrews, UK; Anne L. Engh, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA; Liza R. Moscovice, Binghamton University, Binghamton, NY; Roman M. Wittig, University of St. Andrews, St. Andrews, UK; Robert M. Seyfarth, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA; and Dorothy L. Cheney, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA.相关研究人员包括：加州大学洛杉矶分校的 Joan B. Silk；密歇根大学的Jacinta C. Beehner；密歇根大学的Thore J. Bergman；圣安德鲁大学的Catherine Crockford；宾夕法尼亚大学的Anne L. Engh；宾汉姆大学的Liza R. Moscovice；圣安德鲁大学的Roman M. Wittig；宾夕法尼亚大学的Robert M. Seyfarth；宾夕法尼亚大学的Dorothy L. Cheney.
Source: Cell Press信息来源：Cell Press
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