HIGHER MORTALITY OF THE YOUNGEST ORGANISMS PREDICTED BY THE PENNA AGING MODEL

Abstract

We have simulated the evolution of population using the Penna model of aging. In populations of diploid organisms, without recombination between haplotypes or with low cross-over rate, a specific distribution of defective genes has been established. As an effect, relatively higher mortality is observed during the earliest stages of life. When two independently evolving populations were mixed and co-evolved in one environment without crossbreeding, one population won after several generations and this winning population showed stronger "early" death effect. We conclude that in the environmentally limited size of a population (in the model limit set by Verhulst factor) it is a better strategy to sacrifice younger individuals — higher fractions of such populations reach the reproduction age.