title: Statistical tests of demographic heterogeneity theories.
abstract: In this paper we develop predictions from models of life-long demographic heterogeneity. These predictions are then compared to observations of mortality in large laboratory populations of Drosophila melanogaster. We find that the demographic heterogeneity models either require levels of variation that far exceed what would be considered biologically plausible, or they predict a much larger number of very old individuals than we actually observe. We conclude that the demographic heterogeneity models are not reasonable explanations of demographic patterns and are weakly motivated biological models.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697-2525, USA. ldmuelle@uci.edu
authors.forename: Laurence D
authors.initials: LD
authors.lastname: Mueller
authors.forename: Mark D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Drapeau
authors.forename: Curtis S
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Adams
authors.forename: Christopher W
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: Hammerle
authors.forename: Kristy M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Doyal
authors.forename: Ali J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Jazayeri
authors.forename: Tuan
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ly
authors.forename: Suhail A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Beguwala
authors.forename: Avi R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Mamidi
authors.forename: Michael R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Rose
mesh_terms: D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology*; D000818:Animals; D005075:Biological Evolution; D003710:Demography; D004331:Drosophila melanogaster / Q000502:physiology*; D008136:Longevity; D008954:Models, Biological; D015233:Models, Statistical; D015996:Survival Rate