IPFS News Link • Science
Why Men Don't Live as Long as Women
• arcleinAs it turns out, shorter lifespans and higher male mortality risk are quite common in many species. Natural selection doesn't necessarily favor traits commonly associated with health, vigor, and longevity. Instead, it promotes characteristics that provide greater lifetime reproductive success, or in the parlance of evolutionary biology, fitness. If the benefits of increased fitness are greater than the cost of a shorter lifespan or poor health, biology will prioritize those traits. In essence, sex trumps birthday candles.