Statements in which the resource exists as a subject.
PredicateObject
rdf:type
lifeskim:mentions
pubmed:issue
1262
pubmed:dateCreated
1991-8-19
pubmed:abstractText
In so far as it is associated with declining fertility and increasing mortality, senescence is directly detrimental to reproductive success. Natural selection should therefore act in the direction of postponing or eliminating senescence from the life history. The widespread occurrence of senescence is explained by observing that (i) the force of natural selection is generally weaker at late ages than at early ages, and (ii) the acquisition of greater longevity usually involves some cost. Two convergent theories are the 'antagonistic pleiotropy' theory, based in population genetics, and the 'disposable soma' theory, based in physiological ecology. The antagonistic pleiotropy theory proposes that certain alleles that are favoured because of beneficial early effects also have deleterious later effects. The disposable soma theory suggests that because of the competing demands of reproduction less effort is invested in the maintenance of somatic tissues than is necessary for indefinite survival.
pubmed:language
eng
pubmed:journal
pubmed:citationSubset
IM
pubmed:status
MEDLINE
pubmed:month
Apr
pubmed:issn
0962-8436
pubmed:author
pubmed:issnType
Print
pubmed:day
29
pubmed:volume
332
pubmed:owner
NLM
pubmed:authorsComplete
Y
pubmed:pagination
15-24
pubmed:dateRevised
2010-11-18
pubmed:meshHeading
pubmed:year
1991
pubmed:articleTitle
Evolution of senescence: late survival sacrificed for reproduction.
pubmed:affiliation
National Institute for Medical Research, Mill Hill, London, U.K.
pubmed:publicationType
Journal Article, Review