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To age or not to age
Peter D Sozou1, Robert M Seymour
1Department of Operational Research, London School of Economics and Political Science, Houghton Street, London WC2A 2AE, UK. p.sozou@ucl.ac.uk
Proceedings. Biological Sciences
|May 8, 2004
Summary
The antagonistic pleiotropy theory suggests genes benefit youth at the cost of aging. This study finds a non-aging strategy can be optimal if aging
Area of Science:
- Evolutionary biology
- Gerontology
- Life-history theory
Background:
- The antagonistic pleiotropy theory posits that genes conferring early-life benefits may cause later-life decline.
- The disposable soma theory frames aging as a trade-off between reproduction and somatic maintenance.
- A prevailing argument suggests a low rate of aging is evolutionarily superior to no aging.
Purpose of the Study:
- To critically evaluate the argument that a non-aging strategy is evolutionarily inferior.
- To determine the conditions under which non-aging or aging strategies are evolutionarily optimal.
- To analyze the impact of different aging temporal profiles on evolutionary strategy.
Main Methods:
- Mathematical modeling of life-history strategies.
- Analysis of evolutionary game theory principles applied to aging.
- Simulation of various aging onset and progression scenarios.
Main Results:
- A non-aging strategy can be locally optimal if aging-induced deterioration is rapid or occurs early.
- Conversely, an aging strategy is optimal if deterioration is slow or delayed.
- The optimality of non-aging strategies becomes more constrained as aging profiles shift towards delayed decline.
Conclusions:
- The evolutionary advantage of aging depends critically on the timing and rate of somatic deterioration.
- Under specific conditions, particularly rapid or early aging, a strategy of no aging is evolutionarily favored.
- The disposable soma theory's predictions require nuanced consideration of the temporal dynamics of aging.