Cancer risk across mammals

Cancer Risk Across Mammals: Research Paper Analysis Assignment Paper: Vincze et al. (2022) “Cancer risk across mammals” Nature 601:263-267 Assignment Overview This assignment will help you develop skills in reading and critically evaluating scientific research papers. You’ll work through a major research study published in the prestigious journal Nature that examines cancer occurrence across different mammal species. Part I: Understanding the Research Question Read: Abstract and Introduction What is “Peto’s paradox”? Explain this concept in your own words. What was the main research question the authors wanted to answer? Why is it difficult to study cancer in wild animals? List at least two challenges mentioned by the authors. Part II: Methods and Data Collection Read: Methods section What type of animals did the researchers study, and where did the data come from? How many individual animals and how many different species were included in the study? What are the two metrics (CMR and ICM) the authors used to measure cancer mortality? Explain what each one represents in simple terms. Part III: Main Findings Read: Results sections and Figure 1 According to Figure 1, which mammalian order (group) had the highest cancer mortality risk? Which mammalian order had the lowest cancer mortality risk? What did the study find about the relationship between body size and cancer risk across different mammal species? Was there a strong relationship? What did the study find about the relationship between lifespan and cancer risk across species? Part IV: Diet and Cancer Risk Read: The section on carnivorous diet and Figure 2 What dietary pattern was associated with higher cancer risk? Be specific about which types of prey consumption showed the strongest association. What are two possible explanations the authors give for why this dietary pattern might increase cancer risk? Part V: Critical Analysis Questions These questions require you to think critically about the research: What was actually measured in this study? Be specificwas it cancer incidence in living animals, cancer deaths, or something else? How might this affect the conclusions? The title of the paper is “Cancer risk across mammals.” Based on what you read about their methods, is this title accurate? Do the data actually show cancer “risk” or something else? Explain your reasoning. Are the authors’ claims about which animal groups have higher cancer rates justified by their study design? Consider the source of their data (zoo animals) and whether this represents natural populations. There is evidence that the same biological characteristics that increase vulnerability to some forms of cancer may provide resistance to other forms of cancer. The authors do not present the types of cancer that were identified in animals at necropsy (e.g., breast cancer vs melanoma). Rather, they treat cancer as a single entity. Explain how this knowledge limits the strength of the paper’s findings. There is evidence from human epidemiological studies that cancer risk increases with high consumption of red meat. The authors reference this and use it to support their findings. Do you agree or disagree that this information supports their findings? Why or why not? Submission Guidelines Length: No more than 3-5 pages, typed, double-spaced Format: Use question numbers and provide clear, complete answers Citations: If you reference information beyond what’s in the paper, cite your sources