Mutations in mitochondrial DNA respond only to selection acting on females, theoretically allowing harmful male-specific mutations to accumulate in the mitochondrial genome: a phenomenon previously termed the 'mother's curse'. This paper presents experimental evidence from Drosophila melanogaster indicating that mitochrondrial genomes carry numerous variants dispersed across the genome that affect male-specific patterns of ageing. The authors suggest that the mitochondrial genome is a 'hotspot' for mutations that influence these sex-specific differences in ageing and that mitochondrial genetic variation may influence the patterns of sexual dimorphism observed in ageing across animals.