What is the evolutionary perspective on ageing?
From an evolutionary perspective, aging, also known as senescence, is a decrease in fitness with chronological age, expressed by an increase in mortality risk and decline in reproductive success. The seemingly paradoxical process of why organisms deteriorate with age, despite natural selection optimizing for survival, has puzzled scientists for centuries. However, modern evolutionary theory offers compelling explanations, viewing aging not as a deliberate function but an unintended consequence of life history trade-offs.