Looking for Evidence of Antagonistic Pleiotropy in Human Data
The prevailing theory on the evolution of aging suggests that it is a result of antagonistic pleiotropy, a mechanism where certain genetic mutations initially have benefits but later lead to harm. This is because mutations that favor early reproductive fitness are selected for, even if they cause harm later in life. As a result, biological systems tend to invest less in long-term maintenance and sustainability, ultimately leading to aging.
In 1957, evolutionary biologist George Williams proposed that genetic mutations contributing to aging could be favored by natural selection if they are advantageous in promoting earlier reproduction or the production of more offspring. A recent study using genetic, reproductive, and death-registry information from the UK Biobank database found a strong negative genetic correlation between reproduction and lifespan, supporting the Williams hypothesis. The study also showed that individuals with mutations promoting higher reproductive rates have lower probabilities of living to an older age compared to those with mutations promoting lower reproductive rates. However, the study cautions that genetic factors play a relatively minor role compared to environmental factors in influencing reproduction and lifespan.
