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Longevity Among Hunter‐ Gatherers: A Cross‐Cultural Examination

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  • Michael Gurven
  • Hillard Kaplan

Abstract

Post‐reproductive longevity is a robust feature of human life and not only a recent phenomenon caused by improvements in sanitation, public health, and medical advances. We argue for an adaptive life span of 68‐78 years for modern Homo sapiens based on our analysis of mortality profiles obtained from small‐scale hunter‐gatherer and horticultural populations from around the world. We compare patterns of survivorship across the life span, rates of senescence, modal ages at adult death, and causes of death. We attempt to reconcile our results with those derived from paleodemographic studies that characterize prehistoric human lives as “nasty, brutish, and short,” and with observations of recent acculturation among contemporary subsistence populations. We integrate information on age‐specific dependency and resource production to help explain the adaptive utility of longevity in humans from an evolutionary perspective.

Suggested Citation

  • Michael Gurven & Hillard Kaplan, 2007. "Longevity Among Hunter‐ Gatherers: A Cross‐Cultural Examination," Population and Development Review, The Population Council, Inc., vol. 33(2), pages 321-365, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:popdev:v:33:y:2007:i:2:p:321-365
    DOI: 10.1111/j.1728-4457.2007.00171.x
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    Cited by:

    1. Rose, Danya & Hawkes, Kristen & Kim, Peter S., 2019. "Adult sex ratio as an index for male strategy in primates," Theoretical Population Biology, Elsevier, vol. 126(C), pages 40-50.
    2. Betz, Ulrich A.K., 2018. "Is the force awakening?," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 128(C), pages 296-303.
    3. Jon Anson, 2013. "Surviving to be the oldest old—destiny or chance?," Vienna Yearbook of Population Research, Vienna Institute of Demography (VID) of the Austrian Academy of Sciences in Vienna, vol. 11(1), pages 71-85.
    4. Hillard Kaplan & Michael Gurven, 2008. "Top-down and bottom-up research in biodemography," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 19(44), pages 1587-1602.
    5. James A. Brander, 2010. "Presidential Address: Innovation in retrospect and prospect," Canadian Journal of Economics/Revue canadienne d'économique, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 43(4), pages 1087-1121, November.
    6. Silke van Daalen & Hal Caswell, 2015. "Lifetime reproduction and the second demographic transition: Stochasticity and individual variation," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 33(20), pages 561-588.
    7. Missov, Trifon I. & Lenart, Adam, 2013. "Gompertz–Makeham life expectancies: Expressions and applications," Theoretical Population Biology, Elsevier, vol. 90(C), pages 29-35.
    8. Le, Anthia & Hawkes, Kristen & Kim, Peter S., 2022. "Male mating choices: The drive behind menopause?," Theoretical Population Biology, Elsevier, vol. 145(C), pages 126-135.
    9. James R. Carey, 2008. "Biodemography: Research prospects and directions," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 19(50), pages 1749-1758.
    10. James W. Vaupel, 2009. "Lively Questions for Demographers about Death at Older Ages," Population and Development Review, The Population Council, Inc., vol. 35(2), pages 347-356, June.
    11. Arthur J. Robson & Larry Samuelson, 2009. "The Evolution of Time Preference with Aggregate Uncertainty," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 99(5), pages 1925-1953, December.
    12. Pavard, Samuel & Branger, Frédéric, 2012. "Effect of maternal and grandmaternal care on population dynamics and human life-history evolution: A matrix projection model," Theoretical Population Biology, Elsevier, vol. 82(4), pages 364-376.
    13. Arthur Robson & Larry Samuelson, 2008. "The Evolution of Decision and Experienced Utilities," Cowles Foundation Discussion Papers 1678, Cowles Foundation for Research in Economics, Yale University, revised Feb 2010.
    14. Terence C. Burnham & Jay Phelan, 2023. "Ordinaries 12," Journal of Bioeconomics, Springer, vol. 25(2), pages 75-98, August.
    15. Michal Engelman & Christopher L. Seplaki & Ravi Varadhan, 2017. "A Quiescent Phase in Human Mortality? Exploring the Ages of Least Vulnerability," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 54(3), pages 1097-1118, June.
    16. Karen L. Kramer, 2021. "The Human Family—Its Evolutionary Context and Diversity," Social Sciences, MDPI, vol. 10(6), pages 1-17, May.
    17. Loo, Sara L. & Rose, Danya & Hawkes, Kristen & Kim, Peter S., 2021. "Mate guarding in primates arises due to partner scarcity, even if the father provides no paternal care at all," Theoretical Population Biology, Elsevier, vol. 142(C), pages 100-113.
    18. Shiro Horiuchi & Nadine Ouellette & Siu Lan Karen Cheung & Jean-Marie Robine, 2013. "Modal age at death: lifespan indicator in the era of longevity extension," Vienna Yearbook of Population Research, Vienna Institute of Demography (VID) of the Austrian Academy of Sciences in Vienna, vol. 11(1), pages 37-69.
    19. Giambattista Salinari & Gustavo De Santis, 2020. "One or more rates of ageing? The extended gamma-Gompertz model (EGG)," Statistical Methods & Applications, Springer;Società Italiana di Statistica, vol. 29(2), pages 211-236, June.
    20. Michael Gurven & Adrian V Jaeggi & Hillard Kaplan & Daniel Cummings, 2013. "Physical Activity and Modernization among Bolivian Amerindians," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 8(1), pages 1-13, January.
    21. Fogarty, L. & Creanza, N. & Feldman, M.W., 2013. "The role of cultural transmission in human demographic change: An age-structured model," Theoretical Population Biology, Elsevier, vol. 88(C), pages 68-77.
    22. Annette Baudisch & James W. Vaupel, 2009. "Senescence vs. sustenance: evolutionary-demographic models of aging," MPIDR Working Papers WP-2009-040, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany.

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