Chimpanzee and Gorilla Brains Do Not Lose Weight with Age Like Human Brains

A new analysis of non-human great apes shows that their brains do not lose weight as they get older, unlike human brains. Human brains usually start to lose weight around the age of 45 to 50, even when no disease is present. The new study looked at the brains of 601 animals in total.

What We Found

The animals included in this new analysis are chimpanzees, gorillas, orangutans, and bonobos. These four types of animals are the closest living relatives to humans. Researchers suggest that the relatively short lifespans of non-human great apes might be the reason why their brain mass stays the same in later life.

Context

Comparing human biology with the biology of other great apes helps scientists understand what makes human aging unique. Researchers often study different primates to see how traits like brain size and lifespan change across species over time.