Guest Scuba1 Posted June 6, 2009 Report Share Posted June 6, 2009 Designed to die when? I was pondering whether the Darwinian theory of evolution would ever result in humans living longer (by design rather than through improved health care etc)? It seems to me that we are genetically designed to start shagging at about 13 or 14ish with babies shortly after. Allow the required years to raise a family and add a few extra years for fatalities (and starting again) and about the early to mid 30s would be about right for the average age of death of a caveman? Of course, our civilisation allows us to live much longer but one can only surmise that the number of diseases and ailments that occur in later life suggest that bodies aren't really designed to last that long? If there is a gene that means longer life then it probably won't become dominant due to the fact that breeding is over and done with before it is known if anyone has the gene and its benefits probably would not mean much of a greater increase in surviving offspring? Anyway, for those of you old enough; how long do you think you could have survived (physically) in a hunter gatherer society? I reckon that I was really fit up to the age of about 35 and really started crumbling away at about 42. Of course, I wouldn't have survived very long due to not having 100% eyesight but I think I could have made it to mid 40s living as a caveman. Note: I use the word "design" with reference to evolutionary design as opposed to any God or other imaginary creature. ATB Michael __________________ Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Guest hyperion Posted June 6, 2009 Report Share Posted June 6, 2009 hmmmmm! genetic enginering and cloning will one day result in much longer life spans i think but the bigest control on human population growth in history was always infant mortality followed by disease! so as a cave man you would have had a good chance of not even making it passed your tenth birthday! evolution happens over huge (to us any way) ammounts of time but is also a response to outside threats and/or the enviroment in which we live, quirks of fate and random mutations! as a population grows and becomes more stable so the threats are removed, the enviroment controlled and evolution relies more on fate and mutation and slows down! at some point technoligy has to replace evolution! cheers hyperion Quote Link to post Share on other sites
bird 10,014 Posted June 6, 2009 Report Share Posted June 6, 2009 hmmmmm! genetic enginering and cloning will one day result in much longer life spans i think but the bigest control on human population growth in history was always infant mortality followed by disease! so as a cave man you would have had a good chance of not even making it passed your tenth birthday! evolution happens over huge (to us any way) ammounts of time but is also a response to outside threats and/or the enviroment in which we live, quirks of fate and random mutations! as a population grows and becomes more stable so the threats are removed, the enviroment controlled and evolution relies more on fate and mutation and slows down! at some point technoligy has to replace evolution! cheers hyperion The biggest killer to the cave-man , was the [Cold+Diet]. And as you say [average] life span was 30 years men- woman bit longer. So man of today[average]life span is= 70years man-women 75 years. It is [Definitely] [Technoligy] ie Diet+ living condition's=heating+Medicine.[ Not Physical Evolution of man. Iam 56 a look 46 thats what i was told just good food+ plenty of Fresh Air[ lamping] and i think i might hit 100 . Quote Link to post Share on other sites
artic 595 Posted June 6, 2009 Report Share Posted June 6, 2009 hmmmmm! genetic enginering and cloning will one day result in much longer life spans i think but the bigest control on human population growth in history was always infant mortality followed by disease! so as a cave man you would have had a good chance of not even making it passed your tenth birthday! evolution happens over huge (to us any way) ammounts of time but is also a response to outside threats and/or the enviroment in which we live, quirks of fate and random mutations! as a population grows and becomes more stable so the threats are removed, the enviroment controlled and evolution relies more on fate and mutation and slows down! at some point technoligy has to replace evolution! cheers hyperion The biggest killer to the cave-man , was the [Cold+Diet]. And as you say [average] life span was 30 years men- woman bit longer. So man of today[average]life span is= 70years man-women 75 years. It is [Definitely] [Technoligy] ie Diet+ living condition's=heating+Medicine.[ Not Physical Evolution of man. Iam 56 a look 46 thats what i was told just good food+ plenty of Fresh Air[ lamping] and i think i might hit 100 . I agree with you bird, good diet, and good excersise daily. Drinking plenty of water, having a breakfast, eating greens and fruits, and taking daily vitimin pills all helps. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Scuba1 Posted June 6, 2009 Report Share Posted June 6, 2009 Perhaps I didn't explain it too well. Evolution, if it may be attributed with 'intent', seems to be only concerned with procreation and that, generally speaking, the human body is only required to last to its mid 30s or 40s in order to achieve that aim? The ability to survive beyond that age gets harder and harder in a environment not supported by 'civilisation'? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Malt 379 Posted June 6, 2009 Report Share Posted June 6, 2009 Perhaps I didn't explain it too well. Evolution, if it may be attributed with 'intent', seems to be only concerned with procreation and that, generally speaking, the human body is only required to last to its mid 30s or 40s in order to achieve that aim? The ability to survive beyond that age gets harder and harder in a environment not supported by 'civilisation'? It's true mate. You go to a day surgical unit and see the amounts of knee cartilage operations on folk in their mid 30's. I suffer terribly with my knees, and have done since my early teens. I've researched quite a bit on knee problems, and I came across a piece somewhere that reckoned that for 99% of the time that humans have been around, the average life expectancy was half of what it is now. Therefore, it was a total waste of time evolving cartilage that would last longer than 30 years. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Scuba1 Posted June 6, 2009 Report Share Posted June 6, 2009 So, when we get 'snipped' and our balls aren't producing/firing off what they are supposed to is this like pressing the 'control/alt/delete' buttons on my life computer?? Or: It may well be evolutionarily useful to have healthy post reproductive adults around to support the developement of the skip generation. Pro-social behaviours such as grandparenting may well have a strong evolutionary basis. Anyone who believes in intelligent design isn't. ATB Michael Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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