# Quail Bred to Reproduce More Aged Faster, Supporting a Core Theory of Aging

- **Evidence Level**: Moderate
- **Journal**: Proceedings. Biological sciences
- **Sample Size**: Japanese quail across multiple generations of artificial selection
- **Published**: 2026-04-15
- **Topics**: aging theory, reproduction, animal study
- **Original Source**: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41980741/

## Summary

Researchers selectively bred Japanese quail for higher or lower reproductive effort across several generations. By generations five and six, the high-reproduction birds died sooner. The lifespan difference came from faster aging rates, not from being more fragile to begin with. This is some of the cleanest experimental evidence in vertebrates that investing more in reproduction comes at a real cost to longevity.

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_Canonical: https://longevity-china.com/de/research/quail-bred-to-reproduce-more-aged-faster-supporting-a-core-theory-of-aging · Part of Longevity Cities · Updated 2026-04-15_