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Not disagreeing at all that elders are and have been important, but if it’s a benefit after reproductive age where does the selection come in? I’m open to idea
by tonyarkles 1y ago
Not disagreeing at all that elders are and have been important, but if it’s a benefit after reproductive age where does the selection come in?
I’m open to ideas. The only one I’ve been able to come up with is more second-order: the genetic benefit could come from having your children also pass on your genes, if there was a higher probability of them doing that with their parent alive past reproductive age.
- coldtea 1y agoAttempted an answer for this above: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45481345 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45481345
- Earw0rm 1y ago"Bitch" by Lucy Cooke has a chapter dedicated to this if you're interested. It's pop sci but a great read and offers some new perspectives. Menopause seems to be a biological adaptation to this - most mammals don't have it, they'll keep on having young until they're totally exhausted, and die not long after. Humans seem to be adapted so that women have a wild-type generation's worth (15-20 years) of useful lifespan post fertility.