Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Postreproductive life predicted by primate patterns.

D S Judge1, J R Carey

  • 1Department of Anthropology, University of California at Davis, 95616, USA. dsjudge@ucdavis.edu

The Journals of Gerontology. Series A, Biological Sciences and Medical Sciences
|May 16, 2000
PubMed
Summary

Primate longevity, particularly in humans, is strongly linked to brain and body size. This study reveals that post-reproductive lifespans likely existed before Homo sapiens, with brain mass being a key predictor of life span.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Demography of the twospotted spider mite, Tetranychus urticae Koch.

Oecologia·2017
Same author

Effect of larval host on life history traits of the mediterranean fruit fly, Ceratitis capitata.

Oecologia·2017
Same author

Male demographic constraints to extreme sex ratio in the twospotted spider mite.

Oecologia·2017
Same author

Darwin and the puzzle of primogeniture : An essay on biases in parental investment after death.

Human nature (Hawthorne, N.Y.)·2013
Same author

American legacies and the variable life histories of women and men.

Human nature (Hawthorne, N.Y.)·2013
Same author

New modalities of brain stimulation for stroke rehabilitation.

Experimental brain research·2012

Area of Science:

  • Primate evolutionary biology
  • Comparative anatomy
  • Gerontology

Background:

  • Primate life spans and menopause ages vary significantly across species.
  • Previous estimates of human life span did not fully account for brain and body mass correlations.
  • Understanding factors influencing longevity is crucial for evolutionary and biological studies.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To predict primate life spans, including human life span, based on revised body and brain mass data.
  • To investigate the evolutionary origins of post-reproductive life spans.
  • To determine the relative importance of body mass versus brain mass in predicting longevity.

Main Methods:

  • Regression analyses were performed on life span data against female body and brain masses for Old World primates.

Related Experiment Videos

  • Phylogenetically independent contrasts were used to control for evolutionary relationships.
  • Life spans were predicted for early Homo and Cebus monkeys using established regressions.

    • Main Results:

    • Human life span was predicted to be between 72 and 91 years, exceeding menopause age by over 20 years.
    • Predicted life spans for early Homo suggest post-reproductive periods predated Homo sapiens.
    • Brain mass was identified as a more robust predictor of longevity than body mass across primate species.
    • Cebus monkeys exhibit significantly longer actual life spans than predicted by their body and brain mass.

    Conclusions:

    • Brain mass is a significant predictor of longevity in primates, even when controlling for phylogeny.
    • Post-reproductive life spans appear to have evolved earlier than previously thought, potentially in early Homo.
    • The study provides a more comprehensive and accurate model for predicting primate life spans based on physical traits.