Abstract

Amitabh Joshi's article -Evolution, Fruit flies and Gerontology (Resonance. Vol.1. No.11. pp.51-63) is fascinating. But I suspect a subtle circularity in the arguments regarding evolution of ageing. The argument, as presented, seems to be critically dependent on the assumption of cessation of reproduction after a certain age or atleast decrease in reproductive success with age. Why anyone should stop reproducing much before death is a really perplexing question from the evolutionary point of view. But we know that this is common in many species including humans. If you say that individuals stop reproducing because they grow old, it is ridiculous, since we are set to explain why they grow 'old'. If we fail to find an ageing independent explanation for the cessation of reproduction, the further sequence of arguments collapses.

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