Related Experiment Video
Updated: Apr 12, 2026
10:08
Surveying Low-Cost Methods to Measure Lifespan and Healthspan in Caenorhabditis elegans
Published on: May 18, 2022
4.4K
The evolution of prolonged life after reproduction
Darren P Croft1, Lauren J N Brent1, Daniel W Franks2
1Centre for Research in Animal Behaviour, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK.
Trends in Ecology & Evolution
|May 19, 2015
Summary
Female animals in some species live longer after reproduction, a phenomenon called prolonged post-reproductive lifespan (PRLS). This study explores evolutionary theories explaining why this occurs across diverse species.
Area of Science:
- Evolutionary biology
- Gerontology
- Reproductive biology
Background:
- The cessation of ovulation before natural death is a long-standing evolutionary question.
- Prolonged post-reproductive lifespans (PRLSs) are observed in humans, cetaceans, and insects, where reproductive senescence outpaces somatic aging.
Purpose of the Study:
- To synthesize and evaluate classic and contemporary hypotheses explaining the evolution of PRLSs.
- To explore the applicability of these hypotheses across human and nonhuman animal populations.
Main Methods:
- Review and integration of existing evolutionary theories on PRLSs.
- Comparative analysis across a broad taxonomic range, including humans and other animals.
Main Results:
- PRLSs are not merely artifacts of increased lifespan in captivity but occur naturally in some species.
- Multiple interacting evolutionary explanations are likely necessary to fully understand PRLSs.
Conclusions:
- A comprehensive understanding of PRLSs requires considering diverse, interacting evolutionary pressures.
- An integrative, cross-taxonomic approach is crucial for advancing research on reproductive senescence and post-reproductive life.
Related Concept Videos
01:29Life Histories
23.3K
Overview
23.3K
01:24Evolution of New Traits in Microbes
151
Microorganisms evolve rapidly due to their large population sizes and short generation times, often exhibiting measurable changes within days under laboratory conditions. Natural selection acts on standing genetic variation, enabling the retention and amplification of beneficial traits that confer fitness advantages in changing environments.Adaptive Pigment Regulation in RhodobacterIn Rhodobacter, a genus of purple non-sulfur bacteria, light-harvesting pigments such as bacteriochlorophyll and...
151
00:51Energy Budgets
11.1K
Organisms must balance energy intake with the energy required for growth, maintenance and reproduction. These trade-offs result in a variety of survivorship and reproductive strategies, including semelparity and iteroparity. Semelparous species, like annual plants, have only one reproductive episode in their lifetimes and consequently have short lifespans. Iteroparous species, by contrast, have many reproductive events during their lifetimes but have relatively few offspring. These two...
11.1K
01:07Speciation Rates
23.6K
Overview
23.6K
02:55The Evidence for Evolution
50.7K
Genetic variations accumulating within populations over generations give rise to biological evolution. Evolutionary changes can result in the formation of novel varieties and entire new species. These changes are responsible for the diverse forms of life inhabiting the planet. The evidence for evolution suggests that all living organisms descended from common ancestors.
50.7K
02:20Longitudinal Research
13.7K
Sometimes we want to see how people change over time, as in studies of human development and lifespan. When we test the same group of individuals repeatedly over an extended period of time, we are conducting longitudinal research. Longitudinal research is a research design in which data-gathering is administered repeatedly over an extended period of time. For example, we may survey a group of individuals about their dietary habits at age 20, retest them a decade later at age 30, and then again...
13.7K