There is much to be gained from using a comparative approach to address fundamental questions in the biology of aging. This symposium will bring together biogerontologists that work on a variety of vertebrate and invertebrate models whose interests transcend boundaries that typically keep biomedical research apart from more traditional basic biological research. Topics for discussion will include, the relevance of comparative biology to biomedical research, a conceptual framework for integrating metabolic, life history, and life span data in the “-omics” era, mortality risk and life history evolution as a function of body heat production, membrane lipid composition and its impact on metabolism and aging, the evolutionary ecology of growth and life history traits, as well as the role of metabolism and life history evolution in shaping aging and mortality in yeast, snakes, birds, and rodents.

The organizers of the symposium gratefully acknowledge financial support from the National Science Foundation, the Glenn Foundation for Medical Research, the American Federation for Aging Research, The Ellison Medical Foundation, and SICB DCPB and DEE.

Objectives
There is a rapidly growing interest in taking a comparative approach to addressing fundamental questions in the biology of aging. However despite this interest biogerontologists typically do not interact with those best suited to help them with these types of studies, namely field-trained evolutionary and physiological ecologists. Nor do field-trained biologists generally think about biomedical questions. We hope that this symposium forges new relationships between the biogerontological research community and comparative field biologists to develop new experimental paradigms for both laboratory and field-based research into aging and beyond.

Organized by: James M. Harper, University of Michigan & Anne Bronikowski, Iowa State University

Schedule

END Session w/ Reception to follow