Programmed aging theories propose that aging in humans and other animals is purposely caused by a complex biological mechanism that evolved because species that age have evolutionary advantages over those that do not. This concept provides a much better fit to observations and other evidence. This development is important because it suggests that human aging can be altered and delayed, and that lifespan extension is possible. This article suggests that aging is one of several related biological functions that operate as a function of age including reproduction, growth, and menopause.
Mammal Aging as a Programmed Life Cycle Function – Resolving the Cause and Effect Conundrum Goldsmith TC Wiley-Advanced Biology, Review Adv Biol (Weinh). 2024 Jun 16:e2300658. doi: 10.1002/adbi.202300658. PMID: 38880843
Abstract:
Because aging and internally determined lifespan vary greatly between physically and biochemically similar animal species it is now widely accepted that aging is an evolved trait that in some way resulted from the evolution process. This resulted in two classes of evolutionary aging theories: aging is programmed by a complex biological mechanism, and aging is not programmed. As recently as 2002 programmed aging in mammals was widely thought to be theoretically impossible based on generally accepted concepts regarding the evolution process. However, as described in this article, genetics discoveries, results of selective breeding, and other direct evidence strongly support the idea that aging creates an evolutionary advantage and that therefore complex mechanisms evolved that control aging in mammals and other multiparous organisms. Like similar life-cycle programs that control reproduction, growth, and menopause, the aging program can adjust the aging trait during an individual’s life to compensate for temporary or local changes in external conditions that alter the optimum lifespan for a particular species population. In addition, genetics discoveries strongly support the evolvability concept to the effect that sexually reproducing species can evolve design features that increase their ability to evolve, and that aging is one such feature. Genetics discoveries also prove that biological inheritance involves transmission of organism design information in digital form between parent and descendant of any organism. This has major implications for the evolution process.
Keywords: evolution, evolvability, biology, gerontology, lifespan, senescence, digital genetics
See the PubMed description and published version.