Going to try to summarize a bit. The article explains that different organisms exhibit different patterns of aging, when we consider aging as either defined by

Going to try to summarize a bit. The article explains that different organisms exhibit different patterns of aging, when we consider aging as either defined by increases in the probability of death, or decreases in the probability of reproduction. Taken together with the evolution of species, this implies a plasticity in both the mechanisms and utility of aging - something which is otherwise considered to be a rather solid constant of life. The takeaway then is that we must 1) widen our definition of aging to accommodate the variety of natural phenomena, and 2) reconsider the intuition that a specific pattern of aging, such as the one found in humans, is necessary for the survival of the organism and/or the species.