2023-12-17 15:12:46
Study Shows Genetic Link to Early Childbearing and Shorter Lifespan
A new study has found that people with a genetic predisposition to have children earlier in life are less likely to reach the age of 76. The analysis of the DNA of over 270,000 people led to this discovery.
One of the great mysteries of evolution is why we decline as we age. Natural selection would suggest that genes leading to a longer life would be passed on more often, allowing for more time to reproduce and transfer beneficial genes. However, there is no evidence that natural selection prevents aging.
The study suggests that antagonistic pleiotropy, where genes responsible for multiple traits have traits that provide extra fitness early in life but are less beneficial later in life, plays a key role. These genetic mutations might lead to earlier reproduction but also a shorter lifespan.
According to evolutionary biologist Jianzhi Zhang of the University of Michigan, “These mutations that are beneficial for reproduction, but potentially harmful later, are still passed on to the next generation. That is because reproduction is especially important in natural selection.”
The study involved the analysis of the DNA of over 270,000 people from the UK Biobank, which found that people with higher polygenic reproductive health scores were less likely to live to age 76 or older, supporting the antagonistic pleiotropy hypothesis.
One notable gene variant, rs12203592, has been linked to certain forms of cancer. The team plans to collect more data to see if this trend holds true in more diverse populations.
While external factors such as medical advances have led to people living longer and having fewer children on average, this study provides the first strong evidence for antagonistic pleiotropy in humans. The implications of this study are vital for the evolutionary theory of aging and prompt further research into how these genetic links impact human populations.]
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