Life History Patterns

Maximum longevity varies hugely across species, ranging from days to millennia. Reproductive output also varies by orders of magnitude. These patterns result from demographic age-trajectories of mortality and fertility, which show comparable diversity. The familiar demographic trajectories of humans – increasing mortality and a hump-shaped fertility – are just one way to organize demography. Other mammals, and birds, show human-like patterns, but other species have increasing fertility and declining mortality rates with age. Others show no signs of aging at all. The author explores correlates of these patterns and highlights the need to consider senescence from a broad taxonomic scope to truly understand the evolution of aging.
Keywords: Aging; Demography; Evolution; Fertility; Gompertz; Life span; Mortality; Ontogenescence; Reproduction; Reproductive senescence; Senescence; Survivorship