title: Evolution of aging through reduced demographic stochasticity - an extension of the pleiotropy theory to finite populations.
abstract: In finite populations, there is selection against demographic stochasticity. In this study, it is shown that an increase in the rate of aging, here defined as an increase in early-life survival at the expense of later survival, may reduce this form of stochasticity. In particular, a trade-off between juvenile and adult survival is highly efficient in reducing demographic stochasticity. Therefore, aging may evolve as a response to selective pressure for reduced demographic stochasticity.
authors.affiliation: Max Planck Research Group Modeling the Evolution of Aging, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research Konrad Zuse Strasse 1, 18057, Rostock, Germany.
authors.forename: Stefano
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Giaimo
keywords: Aging; demographic variance; evolution; pleiotropy; senescence; stochasticity