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Diversity of ageing across the tree of life

Author

Listed:
  • Owen R. Jones

    (Max-Planck Odense Center on the Biodemography of Aging, Campusvej 55, 5230 Odense M, Denmark
    University of Southern Denmark, Campusvej 55, 5230 Odense M, Denmark)

  • Alexander Scheuerlein

    (Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Konrad-Zuse-Strasse 1, 18057 Rostock, Germany)

  • Roberto Salguero-Gómez

    (Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Konrad-Zuse-Strasse 1, 18057 Rostock, Germany
    School of Biological Sciences, Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation Science, University of Queensland, Brisbane QLD 4072, Australia)

  • Carlo Giovanni Camarda

    (Institut National d'Etudes Démographiques, 133 Boulevard Davout, 75980 Paris Cédex 20, France)

  • Ralf Schaible

    (Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Konrad-Zuse-Strasse 1, 18057 Rostock, Germany)

  • Brenda B. Casper

    (University of Pennsylvania, 433 South University Avenue)

  • Johan P. Dahlgren

    (Max-Planck Odense Center on the Biodemography of Aging, Campusvej 55, 5230 Odense M, Denmark
    University of Southern Denmark, Campusvej 55, 5230 Odense M, Denmark)

  • Johan Ehrlén

    (Environment and Plant Sciences, Stockholm University, Lilla Frescativägen 5, 10691 Stockholm, Sweden)

  • María B. García

    (Pyrenean Institute of Ecology (CSIC), Avenida Montañana 1005, 50059 Zaragoza, Spain)

  • Eric S. Menges

    (Archbold Biological Station, 123 Main Drive)

  • Pedro F. Quintana-Ascencio

    (University of Central Florida, 4110 Libra Drive, Orlando, Florida 32816-2368, USA)

  • Hal Caswell

    (University of Southern Denmark, Campusvej 55, 5230 Odense M, Denmark
    Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Konrad-Zuse-Strasse 1, 18057 Rostock, Germany
    Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
    Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics, University of Amsterdam, PO Box 94248, 1090GE Amsterdam, The Netherlands)

  • Annette Baudisch

    (Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Konrad-Zuse-Strasse 1, 18057 Rostock, Germany)

  • James W. Vaupel

    (Max-Planck Odense Center on the Biodemography of Aging, Campusvej 55, 5230 Odense M, Denmark
    Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Konrad-Zuse-Strasse 1, 18057 Rostock, Germany
    Duke Population Research Institute, Duke University)

Abstract

Evolution drives, and is driven by, demography. A genotype moulds its phenotype’s age patterns of mortality and fertility in an environment; these two patterns in turn determine the genotype’s fitness in that environment. Hence, to understand the evolution of ageing, age patterns of mortality and reproduction need to be compared for species across the tree of life. However, few studies have done so and only for a limited range of taxa. Here we contrast standardized patterns over age for 11 mammals, 12 other vertebrates, 10 invertebrates, 12 vascular plants and a green alga. Although it has been predicted that evolution should inevitably lead to increasing mortality and declining fertility with age after maturity, there is great variation among these species, including increasing, constant, decreasing, humped and bowed trajectories for both long- and short-lived species. This diversity challenges theoreticians to develop broader perspectives on the evolution of ageing and empiricists to study the demography of more species.

Suggested Citation

  • Owen R. Jones & Alexander Scheuerlein & Roberto Salguero-Gómez & Carlo Giovanni Camarda & Ralf Schaible & Brenda B. Casper & Johan P. Dahlgren & Johan Ehrlén & María B. García & Eric S. Menges & Pedro, 2014. "Diversity of ageing across the tree of life," Nature, Nature, vol. 505(7482), pages 169-173, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:nature:v:505:y:2014:i:7482:d:10.1038_nature12789
    DOI: 10.1038/nature12789
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    Cited by:

    1. Aburto, José Manuel & Basellini, Ugofilippo & Baudisch, Annette & Villavicencio, Francisco, 2022. "Drewnowski’s index to measure lifespan variation: Revisiting the Gini coefficient of the life table," Theoretical Population Biology, Elsevier, vol. 148(C), pages 1-10.
    2. Jos'e Manuel Aburto & Ugofilippo Basellini & Annette Baudisch & Francisco Villavicencio, 2021. "Drewnowski's index to measure lifespan variation: Revisiting the Gini coefficient of the life table," Papers 2111.11256, arXiv.org.
    3. Laura Carbonell-Hernández & Diego Pastor & Alejandro Jiménez-Loaisa & Juan Arturo Ballester-Ferrer & Carlos Montero-Carretero & Eduardo Cervelló, 2020. "Lack of Correlation between Accelerometers and Heart-Rate Monitorization during Exercise Session in Older Adults," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(15), pages 1-10, July.
    4. Stefano Giaimo & Arne Traulsen, 2022. "The selection force weakens with age because ageing evolves and not vice versa," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-7, December.
    5. Yifan Yang & Omer Karin & Avi Mayo & Xiaohu Song & Peipei Chen & Ana L. Santos & Ariel B. Lindner & Uri Alon, 2023. "Damage dynamics and the role of chance in the timing of E. coli cell death," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-11, December.
    6. Serena Vigezzi & Jose Manuel Aburto & Iñaki Permanyer & Virginia Zarulli, 2022. "Divergent trends in lifespan variation during mortality crises," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 46(11), pages 291-336.
    7. Patricia R. Pitrez & Luis M. Monteiro & Oliver Borgogno & Xavier Nissan & Jerome Mertens & Lino Ferreira, 2024. "Cellular reprogramming as a tool to model human aging in a dish," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-11, December.
    8. Krish Sanghvi & Regina Vega-Trejo & Shinichi Nakagawa & Samuel J. L. Gascoigne & Sheri L. Johnson & Roberto Salguero-Gómez & Tommaso Pizzari & Irem Sepil, 2024. "Meta-analysis shows no consistent evidence for senescence in ejaculate traits across animals," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-13, December.
    9. Giaimo, Stefano, 2022. "Selection on age-specific survival: Constant versus fluctuating environment," Theoretical Population Biology, Elsevier, vol. 145(C), pages 136-149.
    10. Emily M. Bertucci-Richter & Benjamin B. Parrott, 2023. "The rate of epigenetic drift scales with maximum lifespan across mammals," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-8, December.
    11. Hilary Cope & Edward R Ivimey-Cook & Jacob Moorad, 2022. "Triparental ageing in a laboratory population of an insect with maternal care [Male age alone predicts paternity success under sperm competition when effects of age and past mating effort are exper," Behavioral Ecology, International Society for Behavioral Ecology, vol. 33(6), pages 1123-1132.
    12. Tsuzuki, Yoichi & Takada, Takenori & Ohara, Masashi, 2022. "Modeling temporal dynamics of genetic diversity in stage-structured plant populations with reference to demographic genetic structure," Theoretical Population Biology, Elsevier, vol. 148(C), pages 76-85.
    13. Carlo Giovanni Camarda, 2019. "Smooth constrained mortality forecasting," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 41(38), pages 1091-1130.
    14. Christina Bohk-Ewald & Roland Rau & Joel E. Cohen, 2015. "Taylor's power law in human mortality," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 33(21), pages 589-610.

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