# Evolution & lifespans

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/evolution-lifespans/17396>\
**Category:** Great Debates\
**Created:** [February 1, 2000, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/evolution-lifespans/17396 "2000-02-01T23:01:00Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![Jois](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ea666f/32.png) [@Jois](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jois)\
**Post date:** [February 3, 2000, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/evolution-lifespans/17396/21 "2000-02-03T20:08:00Z")

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For PUNdit - a chart I posted in GQ that agrees with your comments on primates:

A chart in this biology book (Curtis & Barnes) compares Lemur, Chimpanzee and  
Human development:

Gestation: roughly the same

Infancy:  
Lemur-9 months  
Chimp-3-4 years  
Human-4-5 years

Juvenile phase:  
Lemur-1 year  
Chimp-6 years  
Human-12-13 years

Adult phase:  
Lemur-20 years  
Chimp-18 years  
Human-15 plus years

(I don’t know why the adult phase of the Human is listed as 15+ years, it may have been a way to make the chart/histogram “look” better or world average or something - anyway it is the growth areas that interested me.)

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**Author:** ![mrblue92](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@mrblue92](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mrblue92)\
**Post date:** [February 3, 2000, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/evolution-lifespans/17396/22 "2000-02-03T20:17:00Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> I don’t know why the adult phase of the Human is listed as 15+ years. . .

Most probably they are refering to sexual maturity as adulthood. We all know 20 or 30+ year old humans that should be classified as juvenile…

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**Author:** ![Jois](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ea666f/32.png) [@Jois](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jois)\
**Post date:** [February 5, 2000, 8:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/evolution-lifespans/17396/23 "2000-02-05T08:45:00Z")

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## There’s an interesting thread starting in GD. Check it out.

Oh, I’m gonna keep using these #%@&\* codes 'til I get 'em right.

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**Author:** ![tracer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tracer/32/20578_2.png) [@tracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tracer)\
**Post date:** [February 5, 2000, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/evolution-lifespans/17396/24 "2000-02-05T19:55:00Z")

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Did anyone else see that recent _Scientific American Frontiers_ episode on PBS, about extending the human lifespan?

One researcher had altered the genes of some microscopic worms so that certain hormone receptors were malformed. This not only doubled the lifespans of the worms from 2 weeks to 4 weeks, but also doubled the amount of time during that lifespan in which the worms stayed vibrant, energetic adults (before they became geriatric sticks-in-the-mud).

One thing that was not mentioned was whether this genetic alteration also doubled the time it took for the worms to reach the age of reproduction (i.e. worm puberty). If it did, that would explain why the gene had been selected against in the wild – as others in this thread have noted, a short period from conception to reproduction increases the chances that the organism will survive to reproduce.

* * *

The truth, as always, is more complicated than that.

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