When Sinclair's team fed resveratrol to yeast cells, fruit flies, and worms, the animals lived 14% to 70% longer, they reported in two studies in the journal Nature.

FORBES: Researchers are unlocking the mysteries of aging.

"Kites are opportunistic scavengers, to conserve energy they feed mostly on worms and small dead animals, which they can see from a great height", Mr Straughan said.

BBC: Back from the brink, Red Kites return

Though RNA editing has been observed before, in animals ranging from humans to nematode worms, this is the first time an edit has been tied to a clear evolutionary difference caused by a feature of the environment in this case ambient temperature.

ECONOMIST: A hitherto-unknown way to evolve