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Aging and the Environment: The Stress Theories

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Evolutionary Theory and Processes: Modern Horizons

Abstract

Unstable and often extreme environments have always been a feature of life on Earth. Droughts, floods, and temperature extremes lead to nutritional inadequacy especially of the young. Taking into account the energy consequences of stressful environments, the free-radical theory of aging becomes a general stress theory of aging, recently expressed as a deprivation-syndrome theory, which highlights resource shortages. This ecological scenario contrasts with the more benign protected circumstances of the laboratory, domesticated and island populations, and of the well-nourished humans of the modem era. Some other evolutionary theories of aging, especially the mutation accumulation and antagonistic pleiotropy theories, appear to be implicitly assuming, predominantly protected environments. Empirical work on Drosophila populations from Lower Nahal Oren, Israel, by Nevo and collaborators, are in accord with the stress theory of aging. More information incorporating stress levels in the wild is a high priority.

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  1. La Trobe University, Bundoora, Vic., 3083, Australia

    Peter A. Parsons

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  1. Institute of Evolution, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel

    Solomon P. Wasser

  2. N.G. Kholodny Institute of Botany, NASU, Kiev, Ukraine

    Solomon P. Wasser

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Parsons, P.A. (2004). Aging and the Environment: The Stress Theories. In: Wasser, S.P. (eds) Evolutionary Theory and Processes: Modern Horizons. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-017-0443-4_2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-017-0443-4_2

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