Hillard Kaplan: The University of New Mexico

This talk examines what we have learned about the aging process among Tsimane forager- horticulturalists, and the implications of our results for understanding human life history evolution. I review our latest findings on behavior, inter-generational transfers, physical function, immunocompetence and cardiovascular disease. Tsimane men and women remain net producers until about age 70, the modal age at death for traditional populations, with significant downward transfers to descendants. They also show that men and women adjust their time use as they age, adapting to physical decline. Cardiovascular disease is rare, and heart function remains preserved into the eight decade of life. Immunosenescence, along with functional declines, appears to be the major driver in the increasing risk of mortality with age. The lecture concludes with a discussion of the theory of human lifespan evolution, and important new directions for research.