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Aging in the Natural World: Comparative Data Reveal Similar Mortality Patterns Across Primates

1. Anne M. Bronikowski 1,
2. Jeanne Altmann 2,3,
3. Diane K. Brockman 4,
4. Marina Cords 5,
5. Linda M. Fedigan 6,
6. Anne Pusey 7,
7. Tara Stoinski 8,
8. William F. Morris 9,
9. Karen B. Strier 10,
10. Susan C. Alberts 3,9,*

1. ↵*To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: alberts@duke.edu

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Science 11 Mar 2011:
Vol. 331, Issue 6022, pp. 1325-1328
DOI: 10.1126/science.1201571
Anne M. Bronikowski
Department of Ecology, Evolution and Organismal Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011, USA.

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Jeanne Altmann
Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 88001, USA.Institute of Primate Research, National Museums of Kenya, Nairobi, Kenya.

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Diane K. Brockman
Department of Anthropology, University of North Carolina, Charlotte, NC 28223, USA.

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Marina Cords
Department of Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Biology, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA.

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Linda M. Fedigan
Department of Anthropology, University of Calgary, Calgary, T2N 1N4 Canada.

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Anne Pusey
Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA.

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Tara Stoinski
The Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International and Zoo Atlanta, Atlanta, GA 30315, USA.

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William F. Morris
Department of Biology, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA.

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Karen B. Strier
Department of Anthropology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA.

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Susan C. Alberts
Institute of Primate Research, National Museums of Kenya, Nairobi, Kenya.Department of Biology, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA.

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## Abstract

Human senescence patterns—late onset of mortality increase, slow mortality acceleration, and exceptional longevity—are often described as unique in the animal world. Using an individual-based data set from longitudinal studies of wild populations of seven primate species, we show that contrary to assumptions of human uniqueness, human senescence falls within the primate continuum of aging; the tendency for males to have shorter life spans and higher age-specific mortality than females throughout much of adulthood is a common feature in many, but not all, primates; and the aging profiles of primate species do not reflect phylogenetic position. These findings suggest that mortality patterns in primates are shaped by local selective forces rather than phylogenetic history.

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### Science

Vol 331, Issue 6022
11 March 2011

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###
Aging in the Natural World: Comparative Data Reveal Similar Mortality Patterns Across Primates

By Anne M. Bronikowski, Jeanne Altmann, Diane K. Brockman, Marina Cords, Linda M. Fedigan, Anne Pusey, Tara Stoinski, William F. Morris, Karen B. Strier, Susan C. Alberts

Science 11 Mar 2011 : 1325-1328

Aging patterns in humans fall within the parameters of other primates in natural populations.

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