Scientists have been intrigued by "Peto s paradox," which suggests large, long-living animals should get cancer more often than their smaller counterparts. But they don t.
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Cetaceans are the longest-living animals in general, with some whale species surviving to over 200 years old. Given their size, their bodies contain much more cells than the human body. It s a wonder how this is possible.
(Photo : Pexels on Pixabay) The more cells you have, the more likely one of those cells will become cancerous, says Daniela Tejada-Martinez of Chile s Austral University. So, whether you re huge or live a long time, you ve got thousands and millions of cells that might be harmful.
Despite being astoundingly huge, Cetaceans, on the other hand, have significantly lower cancer rates than most other animals, including humans. The case can be seen as an example of Peto s Paradox.
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Vincent Lynch, assistant professor
Department of Biological Sciences
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