Humans take over twice as long to heal wounds as other mammals

Humans take over twice as long to heal wounds as other mammals

In the natural world, there’s an unwritten rule: living beings must heal their wounds quickly if they hope to survive. Here, a vast array of evolutionary capabilities opens up that help animals, plants, and fungi meet this requirement. There are unique mechanisms, such as that of the Mexican axolotl, an amphibian capable of regenerating entire limbs — bones, muscles, nerves — in a matter of weeks after losing them. There’s also the willow, a tre…

Humans Heal Slower Than Other Primates » Explorersweb

We are the worst primates when it comes to wound healing, according to a new study. Our wounds heal nearly three times slower than those of chimpanzees, our closest living relatives, and other primates and mammals.  Evolutionary biologist Akiko Matsumoto-Oda was watching wild baboons in Kenya when she noticed their wound-healing abilities. The monkeys could be very violent and aggressive with each other, and often sustained injuries. “I was stru…