Finch C E, Pike M C, Witten M
Department of Biological Sciences, University of Southern California, University Park 90089.
Science. 1990 Aug 24;249(4971):902-5. doi: 10.1126/science.2392680.
A general measure of the rate of senescence is the acceleration of mortality rate, represented here by the time required for the mortality rate to double (MRD). Rhesus monkeys have an MRD close to that of humans, about 8 years; their shorter life-span results mainly from higher mortality at all ages. In contrast, some groups with short life-spans (rodents and galliform birds) have shorter MRDs and faster senescence. On the basis of the Gompertz mortality rate model, one may estimate the MRD from the maximum life-span (tmax) and the overall population mortality rate. Such calculations show that certain birds have MRDs that are as long as that of humans. These results show that high overall mortality rates or small body sizes do not preclude slow rates of senescence.
衰老速率的一个通用衡量指标是死亡率的加速，在此用死亡率翻倍所需的时间（MRD）来表示。恒河猴的MRD与人类相近，约为8年；它们较短的寿命主要源于各年龄段较高的死亡率。相比之下，一些寿命较短的群体（啮齿动物和鸡形目鸟类）的MRD较短，衰老速度更快。根据冈珀茨死亡率模型，可以从最大寿命（tmax）和总体种群死亡率估算MRD。此类计算表明，某些鸟类的MRD与人类的一样长。这些结果表明，高总体死亡率或小体型并不排除衰老速度缓慢。
