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In a Wondrium lecture on genetics and evolution, this question was also discussed. A compelling (but unproven) explanation for our “age limit” is that any genetic trait that improves your chances before reproduction at the cost of your chances after reproduction (and raising your offspring) will benefit your genes and thus will “win” in the long run. If this is an important effect, it will be very hard to defeat.

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It's pretty intuitive to also consider limits on lifespan as a function of conserving resources on a family or tribal level. At a certain point, the utility a population could gain from labor or knowledge of older members is outweighed by the burden of taking care of them and providing for them.

Yes but from what i recall, evolution doesn't work like that at the level of population.

That is a good point that it is not like many other factors that affect evolution. I think there could be an evolutionary impact if the high cost of resources for one tribe, in tribe versus tribe competition, or a family, in family versus family competition, put the tribe or family at a disadvantage.

I doubt longevity was an evolutionary force way back.

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