X-Message-Number: 12829
From: Thomas Donaldson <>
Subject: about evolution and longevity
Date: Thu, 25 Nov 1999 00:06:58 +1100 (EST)

Ideas about the evolution of aging and death:

One article of much use here is by GC Williams, in EVOLUTION 11(1957)
398-411. It retains its value even at this time because Williams was a
very clear thinker. Basically, unless a biochemical or gene actually
promoted life at some time in an animal's life, it would not persist. This
includes p66. Later theorists of evolution made Williams' ideas very
quantitative, but basically said the same thing. If you're interested
in that further work, try WD Hamilton, JOURNAL OF THEORETICAL BIOLOGY
12(1966) 12-45.

Both of these articles give lots of information about just what can
happen. Among their interesting predictions (though the process would
be far too slow for us) is that we're now evolving longer and longer
lifespans.

Yes, John Clark deserves some congratulation for working out part of these
ideas on his own. I've personally felt they were important to us for
a long time. Why? Because if (for some reason) there were an EVOLUTIONARY
pressure against us acquiring longer lives, then no amount of technology
which did no more than lengthen lives would work: all those who had their
lifespans increased would be outbred and outcompeted by those who died.

As I have just said, this idea is quite contrary to current thinking about
evolution, which if anything predicts a pressure toward LONGER lives. 

			Best and long long life for all,

				Thomas Donaldson

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