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Evolution of sexually dimorphic longevity in humans
1Institute of Healthy Ageing, and Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, University College London, London WC1E 6BT, UK.
Aging
|February 26, 2014
Summary
Human longevity and the gender gap in aging may be explained by evolutionary pressures on male reproduction and androgen effects. Late-life male reproduction, not female, may drive longer human lifespans.
Area of Science:
- Evolutionary biology
- Gerontology
- Reproductive biology
Background:
- Humans exhibit greater longevity than other primates and a significant gender gap in aging, with women living longer than men.
- The evolutionary significance of menopause in human aging remains a key question in understanding human lifespan.
- Existing theories struggle to comprehensively explain these unique human aging patterns.
Purpose of the Study:
- To propose an evolutionary hypothesis explaining increased human longevity, the gender gap in aging, and the phenomenon of menopause.
- To investigate the role of male reproductive strategies and androgen activity in shaping human aging.
- To explore the evolutionary constraints on female reproductive lifespan.
Main Methods:
- The study presents a theoretical evolutionary hypothesis based on suppositions regarding human reproductive history and aging mechanisms.
- It considers the impact of polygynous societies and late-life male reproduction on evolutionary pressures.
- It examines the role of antagonistic pleiotropy related to androgen-driven secondary sexual characteristics and its effect on lifespan.
Main Results:
- Increased human longevity may be linked to enhanced late-life reproduction in males within polygynous societies.
- Evolutionary constraints on oocyte production may explain the lack of a corresponding increase in female reproductive lifespan.
- Androgens appear to influence the gender gap in aging, with potential implications for lifespan and disease, as suggested by eunuch longevity and androgen depletion therapy studies.
Conclusions:
- The proposed hypothesis offers a unified explanation for human longevity, the female survival advantage, and menopause.
- Androgen activity is implicated as a significant factor in the evolution of human aging and the gender-specific lifespan differences.
- Further research into androgen function throughout life is crucial for understanding aging processes and potential interventions.
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