Independent Perspective News

"Insects are the most important study system for aging," said Russell Bonduriansky, whose research is published in this week's issue of the journal Nature. "It's unlikely we'll ever reverse or stop the aging process, but the unique ecology of the antler fly can help us understand why we age."

The antler fly, found in eastern Canada, breeds exclusively on the discarded antlers of a deer or moose. Because its adult lifespan is just a few days in the wild, and because of the limited area that makes up its habitat (an antler and some nearby vegetation) researchers were able to physically mark and track the activities of individual insects throughout their lives.

Scientists say antler flies are on an evolutionary mission during their very short life span, to survive long enough to reproduce. At just two millimeters long, it's a tough world for the tiny creatures. They can be eaten by spiders or other insects, die in cold temperatures or drown in one drop of water.

Clues to aging?

People may be a lot more complex than antler flies, but they too have certain driving forces that impact how they age.

"One of the secrets of successful aging for humans is to have meaning and purpose in life. If we lack a purpose, if we lack a direction, if we lack meaning in our lives the acceleration of the aging process is palpable," said Dr. Edward Creagan, Professor of Medical Oncology and editor of "The Mayo Clinic on Healthy Aging."

Creagan says the criteria for successful aging is not necessarily the biology or the physiology, but the emotional, spiritual, and social. Many studies, for example, have shown that critically ill people can defy all odds and somehow live to see the birth of a grandchild, the return of a son from military service, the celebration of religious holidays.

"The mind seems to be saying, give me a purpose, a reason, I will find out how to hang on," said Creagan. "In the home stretch of our lives, we need to create purpose, create meaning, or we die."