Evolutionary Theory, Biology, and Aging

Question 1

What explains the high prevalence of the dominant allele causing Huntington’s disease?

Answer 1

Declining strength of selection with age

Question 2

Metawar, Williams

Answer 2

aging evolves because natural selection becomes inefficient at maintaining function (and fitness) at old age.

Question 3

Grandmother Hypothesis

Answer 3

Studies indicate that more children are born to
old grandmothers —so grandmother longevity might be selected for, and that is why humans have long lifespans?

Question 4

Mutation Accumulation Hypothesis (Medawar)

Answer 4

Mutations that are deleterious
only late in life will not be
selected against.The sum of the effects of these late-life deleterious
alleles results in aging

Question 5

during artificial selection, late producing flies lived longer.

Answer 5

Supports that genes that influence reproductive
timing can also impact lifespan