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Evolutionary theory predicts late-life mortality plateaus

L D Mueller1, M R Rose

  • 1Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Irvine 92697, USA.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
|December 24, 1996
PubMed
Summary

Late-life mortality plateaus are expected in humans and insects. Expanded evolutionary theory explains these plateaus using antagonistic pleiotropy and mutation accumulation, reconciling demographic data with aging theories.

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Area of Science:

  • Evolutionary biology
  • Demography
  • Gerontology

Background:

  • Demographic data typically show mortality increasing exponentially with age.
  • This pattern is explained by declining natural selection on late-life mortality.
  • However, some studies suggest a mortality plateau in late life for humans and insects.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To extend evolutionary theory to explain late-life mortality plateaus.
  • To reconcile observed demographic patterns with theoretical predictions.

Main Methods:

  • Development of extensions to the evolutionary theory of aging.
  • Analysis of demographic data, considering age-specific mortality patterns.

Main Results:

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  • The expanded theory predicts that late-life mortality plateaus are expected.
  • Sufficient collection of late-life data supports the existence of these plateaus.
  • Antagonistic pleiotropy and mutation accumulation are identified as key population genetic mechanisms.

    • Conclusions:

    • Late-life mortality plateaus are a predictable outcome of evolutionary processes.
    • The expanded theory provides a framework for understanding aging and mortality patterns across the lifespan.