Chronic caloric restriction consists of eating a reduced but balanced diet from early adult life onward. Previous research, into macaques in particular (which have an average lifespan of forty years), had already demonstrated its beneficial effect on the incidence of age-related pathologies. However, its positive effect on the lifespan of primates remained controversial. To study this question, the researchers focused on the grey mouse lemur, a small primate whose lifespan (around 12 years) makes it a very good model for the study of aging. Moreover, this small lemurid has many physiological similarities with humans.