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Dying isn't required for evolution. It's just that after you reproduce and get your offspring on their own feet, continuing to live is optional (for evolution)
by kgin 7y ago
Dying isn't required for evolution.
It's just that after you reproduce and get your offspring on their own feet, continuing to live is optional (for evolution), so no optimizations evolved to continue life far beyond that.
Evolution isn't trying to kill you, it just doesn't care about helping you beyond reproductive age.
- spenczar5 7y agoWouldn’t that mean there is evolutionary pressure to keep reproducing as long as possible (and so, evolution should lead you to live forever and keep making babies)?
- kgin 7y agoNot sure about the exact math here, but there is diminishing "returns" to the genes with every additional offspring. Going from "zero offspring" to "one offspring" is the biggest jump genes can make. Two is 100% better than one. But three is only 50% better than two. Four is only 33% better than three.... etc So once you get to like 10 kids, you're really not getting much more evolutionary advantage for each additional kid. You don't have the same relentless pressure that privileges genes that are provide extreme longevity.