We Age Because We Grow

Main Category: Seniors / Aging
Also Included In: Biology / Biochemistry
Article Date: 02 Mar 2009 - 4:00 PDT

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Why do we age? Since aging is a near-universal feature of complex organisms, a convincing theory must provide a robust evolutionary explanation.

We present a candidate for such a theory of life history. The model features both the quantity and the quality of the energetic investment in the body.

It is optimal to initially build up quantity, but to allow quality to deteriorate. The main theoretical result of the paper is that a life history where mortality decreases early in life and then increases late in life is evolutionarily optimal.

Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences

Proceedings B is the Royal Society's flagship biological research journal, dedicated to the rapid publication and broad dissemination of high-quality research papers, reviews and comment and reply papers. The scope of the journal is diverse and is especially strong in organismal biology.

Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences

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