Who is guilty? “Adverse events in early life,” as scientists call them. The authors of the study, conducted as part of the Kluane Red Squirrel Project, followed thousands of squirrels for 30 years. They found that the more problems a young squirrel encounters in its first year, the shorter its lifespan.
But there is a silver lining. The study highlighted a phenomenon called the “food boom,” a period when abundant food arrives every few years. Squirrels lucky enough to experience a food boom in their second year were able to overcome the negative effects of the difficult first year and live as long, if not longer.
This suggests that the issue isn’t just about calories, but also about a complex interplay of factors like competition that can dampen the impact of early adversity. Now scientists are continuing to study these mechanisms, hoping that the findings can be used in research on human resilience.
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Source: Ferra
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