Longevity of psittacines

Category Land
Date  2019
Investment 46.404$

Thanks to the LP and LPF having the largest gene pool of parrots in the world, it has been possible to make progress in the study of ageing and longevity of these animals.

Support the project
Back

Loro Parque Foundation is collaborating with the University of La Laguna, Tenerife, in studying the factors that determine ageing and longevity in psittacine parrots. This project is based on the study of telomere damage during ageing. Telomeres are the regions at the ends of each chromosome that protect DNA from degradation. As the organism ages, telomeres shorten, so their length and overall condition can serve scientists as a biological clock that determines the lifespan of cells and living organisms.

There are certain parameters that can influence telomere degradation and thus life expectancy. Such as diet, reproduction, diseases, and the habitat itself.

Researchers at the University of La Laguna have been analysing the telomeres of different bird species and more than 40 specimens for three consecutive years, in order to make a comparison not only over time, but also between species, to learn more about the process of telomere degradation, the environmental factors that affect this degradation and its relationship with the specimens’ senescence.

BLOG

News

Loro Parque Fundación gains international support from IUCN for the creation of the Macaronesia Marine Sanctuary

| Blog | No Comments
The motion submitted by the Canarian organisation at the World Conservation Congress, currently taking place…

Loro Parque Fundación promotes a pioneering discovery about learning in parrots

| Blog ENG, Uncategorized | No Comments
A study conducted by the Max Planck Institute for Biological Intelligence reveals that blue-throated macaws,…

Canarian scientists present an in-depth account of hormonal regulation in orcas

| Blog ENG | No Comments
“This study is yet another example of the key role played by animals under human…

The Canary Islands Reduce the Number of Endemic Snails Critically Endangered with Extinction

| Blog | No Comments
The joint efforts of Loro Parque Fundación and the CanBIO project have been key to…