Why study ageing in cold-blooded vertebrates?

Homeotherms exhibit programmed ageing correlated with their determinate mode of growth and the natural attrition of irreplaceable functional units in vitally essential organs. Poikilotherms are potentially capable of indefinite growth, can supplement their populations of functional units, and may therefore not be subject to the inherent depreciations of ageing. Comparative studies may enable us to determine which group is the exception to nature's rule.