Does increased mortality favor the evolution of more rapid senescence?

Abstract

Presents a simple theoretical analysis of how extrinsic mortality should affect the rate of senescence (the rate at which probability of mortality increases with age) under different evolutionary and population dynamical assumptions. If population dynamics are density independent, extrinsic mortality should not alter the senescence rate favored by natural selection. If population growth is density dependent and populations are stable, the effect of extrinsic mortality depends on the age specificity of the density dependence and on whether survival or reproduction (or both) are functions of density. It is possible that higher extrinsic mortality wil increase the rate of senescence at all ages, decrease the rate at all ages, or increase it at some ages while decreasing it at others. -from Author