Prey for Long Life

Abstract

An inspirational guest on the Sally Jesse Raphael show might tell viewers to make the most of the time they have. Organisms naturally follow that advice, at least according to classical evolutionary theory: To maximize their chances of passing their genes to offspring, they fall apart at different rates, depending on their prospects for survival. But a new study suggests that the simple rule doesn't always apply. Belying the theory, tropical guppies menaced by ravenous predators age more slowly than do guppies from more peaceful waters. The work suggests that scientists need to use more refined theories to describe how evolution shapes life span.