Beneficial death: A substantial element of evolution?

Abstract

If a shortened lifespan is evolutionarily advantageous, it becomes more likely that nature will strive to change it accordingly, affecting how we understand aging. Premature mortality because of aging would seem detrimental to the individual, but under what circumstances can it be of value? Based on a relative incremental increase in fitness, simulations were performed to reveal the benefit of death. This modification allows for continuous evolution in the model and establishes an optimal lifespan even under challenging conditions. As a result, shorter-lived individuals achieve faster adaptation through more frequent generational turnover, displacing longer-lived ones and likely providing a competitive advantage between species. Contrary to previous assumptions, this work proposes a mechanism by which early death, e.g., due to aging, may contribute to evolution.