Book Chapter

Sterbealter gleichen sich an

Colchero, F., Rau, R., Scheuerlein, A., Schwentker, B., Vaupel, J. W.
Lifespans becoming more similar
In: Max-Planck-Gesellschaft zur Förderung der Wissenschaften (Ed.): Research report 2017, 1–6
München, Max-Planck-Gesellschaft (2017)
Open Access

Abstract

The higher the life expectancy in a society, the smaller the difference between the ages at which people will die. This relation can be described by a mathematical rule, as demographic data from many countries show. The relationship holds not only for very different human cultures and epochs, but similarly for non-human primates. Although separated by millions of years of evolution, for both humans and non-human primates the lives of females tend to be longer than the lives of males, suggesting deep evolutionary roots to the male disadvantage.

The Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research (MPIDR) in Rostock is one of the leading demographic research centers in the world. It's part of the Max Planck Society, the internationally renowned German research society.