Name: Richard F.
Status: Other
Age: 30s
Location: N/A
Country: N/A
Date: N/A
Question:
If successful species are established through their
ability to survive longer in a certain environment and therefore
reproduce for a longer period. Why has longevity not increased
drastically?
Replies:
It appears that your question answers itself. Perhaps successful
reproduction is not tightly coupled to longevity.
Richard E. Barrans Jr., Ph.D.
Assistant Director
PG Research Foundation, Darien, Illinois
It isn't how the individual survives in a population, it's how many offspring
he/she leaves behind. Once the individual has reproduced, they are actually
just "dead weight" on the population. So it doesn't really make sense
evolutionarily to prolong the lifespan of an individual once it has
reproduced.
vanhoeck
Reproductive success is not necessarily a direct result of a long life. Many
species reproduce prodiguosly in a short life span, others live long but
produce fewer offspring. It is not the length of reproductive life that is
crucial but the number of surviving offspring.
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