Dinosaurs have influenced human ageing.
Dinosaurs influence the way humans age
A new theory known as the "longevity bottleneck hypothesis" suggests that mammals faced persistent pressure for quick reproduction when dinosaurs roamed the Earth, likely leading to the inactivation and loss of genes linked to long life over a period of 100 million years.
Study author Dr. Joao Pedro de Magalhaes, from the University of Birmingham, said: "While humans are among the longest-living animals, there are many reptiles and other animals that have a much slower ageing process and show minimal signs of senescence over their lives.
"The 'longevity bottleneck hypothesis' may shed light on evolutionary forces that have shaped mammalian ageing over millions of years."
Previous research has shown that the earliest mammals were at the bottom of the food chain and needed to reproduce rapidly to survive during the age of the dinosaurs.
Dr. Magalhaes added: "That long period of evolutionary pressure has, I propose, an impact on the way that we humans age."