Document Type

Book

Publication Date

2003

Abstract

The human life span continues to increase even in already low-mortality populations—with major implications for societies and economies. Classical evolutionary theory accounts for survival only through the age of reproduction. A more elaborate theory, integrating biological and demographic perspectives, is required to explain these current trends in longevity and to gauge their future course. The papers collected in this supplement to Population and Development Review contribute to the development of such a theory. The authors are leading scientists from demography, evolutionary biology, and field ecology, equipped to draw insights not only from human populations but also from the comparative mortality patterns and environmental circumstances of many other species: mammals, birds, fish, and insects. The opening chapter presents an overview of the evolutionary and genetic bases of aging and senescence, within and between species, and of the additional role of social evolution. Subsequent chapters explore the selective forces that shape life span patterns in various species—not least, in fruit flies; present an economic optimization model of the evolution of life span; and analyze the surprising phenomenon of the apparent slowing of the rate of increase in human mortality with age at the oldest ages. A final chapter attempts a synthesis of the various approaches to explaining and predicting age patterns of mortality.

Language

English

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