Parsons P A
Department of Genetics and Human Variation, La Trobe University, Bundoora, Vic, Australia.
Heredity (Edinb). 1995 Aug;75 ( Pt 2):216-21. doi: 10.1038/hdy.1995.126.
Ageing is considered in the context of the abiotic stresses to which free-living organisms are normally exposed. Assuming that the primary target of selection of stress is at the level of energy carriers, trade-offs under the rate-of-living theory of ageing predict increased longevity from selection for stress resistance. Changes in longevity then become incidental to selection for stress resistance. I therefore suggest the reformulation of the rate-of-living theory to become a stress theory of ageing. This directly incorporates the characteristics of habitats in nature. Under this theory, the primary trait inherited is resistance to stress. Consequently, at extreme ages those with inherited resistance to abiotic stress should dominate. Furthermore, the reduction in homeostasis manifested by deteriorating ability to adapt to abiotic stress as ageing proceeds, should be slowest in those surviving longest.
衰老被置于自由生活的生物体通常所面临的非生物胁迫的背景下来考虑。假设胁迫选择的主要目标是在能量载体层面，衰老的生活率理论下的权衡预测，通过选择抗逆性会延长寿命。那么寿命的变化就成为了抗逆性选择的附带结果。因此，我建议将生活率理论重新表述为衰老的应激理论。这直接纳入了自然界栖息地的特征。在这个理论下，遗传的主要性状是抗逆性。因此，在极高龄时，那些遗传了对非生物胁迫抗性的个体应该占主导。此外，随着衰老过程中适应非生物胁迫能力的下降而表现出的体内平衡的降低，在寿命最长的个体中应该是最慢的。
