Elderly cockroaches slow down and can’t take the hills, according to a report in New Scientist , 22 Nov 2003, p20. Angela Ridgel and colleagues at Case Western University, Cleveland, Ohio noticed when cockroaches get to the ripe old age of 60 weeks, the insects become stiff in the joints and spend 40 percent less time moving about compared with young ones. They tested the elderly insects for agility and found they tended to stumble and trip over their own feet when made to run on a treadmill and fewer than half could climb a 45 degree slope.
Editorial Comment: Ever wondered what motivates scientists to research the things they do? However, this study is a good reminder that we live in a fallen world and even cockroaches have suffered the aging effects of sin. (Ref. cockroaches, aging, insects)