Dr. Joe, the fact that you are still here and doing things your ancestors would not have lived long enough to do, has a great deal to do with evolution, and the author of the book shines a light on that subject. It's not my intent to criticize or praise the many ideas discussed, but I do find them important and relevant, offering new insights even if, as he admits, they are not always definitive judgments.
I'm reading a fascinating, lively and insightful book, just out a few weeks ago, "How Men Age," by Richard G. Bribiescas, professor of evolutionary biology at Yale. Among other things, it will help dispel some of the nonsense about older men preached by ignorant militants and others. Readable, entertaining, authoritative and short -- 177 pages, it's available on Amazon and at local bookstores.
it was the only one on Amazon when I looked.
With all the health scares, articles, studies and scandals, it is good to be able to step back and look at the overall picture of mankind, and in particular, men. Richard Bribiescas has provided a nicely rounded overview, that tells us we really don’t have a handle on aging yet – but here’s what we think.
-The symptoms of aging seem to be similar in all mammals (which is not much comfort as there is no species to model or aspire to).
-Higher metabolic rates and constant oxidative stress in men leads to shorter lifespans than women who show surges of oxidative stress (pregnancy/childbirth/lactation) but lower overall metabolisms.
-Death is U-shaped. There is huge risk of death after birth. It lessens and flattens in the prime of life, then rockets again as we age.
-Hormone therapy for men might help them bulk up, but it also might be an outsized strain on aging organs to maintain that bulk. In Briebiescas’ analogy, at some point Ferraris can become too expensive to maintain.
-Testosterone suppresses immune functions in men, leading to more infections and autoimmune diseases. Higher levels of it are a potential predictor of prostate cancer when considered with greater energy intake, western diet, sedentary lifestyle and higher testosterone levels (so taking it as a supplement might not be the best choice).
-Fat is far less demanding to maintain than muscle, so muscle gives way to fat when it is no longer needed to find a mate.
-Gray hair is a result of oxidative stress and lifelong doses of testosterone and DHT “a sort of super testosterone.”
How Men Age is Darwinian; Briebiescas rationalizes everything that happens to a male in terms of reproductive attraction and natural selection. Often, it is like hammering a square peg into a round hole. As he points out, it also means 42% of Americans won’t believe any of it, since that many deny evolution.
The book is remarkably ambivalent. Very often his answer is “This is unclear”. Numerous claims begin with: Or it may be that; Most likely; Possibly; Alternatively; Perhaps; There is evidence to suggest; or It would seem. Still, it is valuable to know men aren’t screwing up by not taking hormones, eating rare animal gizzards or pretending to be 25 again. And they’re not missing out on the miracle life extender, because there isn’t one. The bottom line is get married and stay married. Have female children and enjoy “the wonderful absurdity of life.”
In my opinion: It is very unlikely that those of us over 60 are responding to an evolutionary call. Evolution only passes your genes and characteristics on when these give you a reproductive advantage, Homo sapiens are today remarkably physically very like what we were from the beginning 100,000 or so years ago or at least when we learned to farm and raise animals 30,000 or 40,000 years ago. It is also unlikely that were we --today's over 60s-- born 100 or even 30 thousand years ago; we would have lived into our current age. We would have done all our gene passing in our teens and early twenties, maybe even thirties but unlikely past that. Loss of visual acuity, loss of teeth, lessening of sperm count and sexual drive would have resulted in our death or certainly our scattering fewer sperm. I am not aware of all the evidence, but I think it very unlikely that easily homo sapiens --those of 60 or 70 or 90 thousand years ago who were hunter gatherers survived into their 50s and those of 30,000 years ago who had learned to farm and breed animals would have lived into their 60s.
I am not having sex and working full time and still enjoying my life because of evolution, I am here and functional thanks to the medical and economic and other progress we humans have made (with the help of what greater power in which you might believe or with no help if that is where you are.)
May be missing things but I don't see how my full head of salt and pepper hair and my responsive penis in my mid 70s have anything to do with evolution.
Whatever the reason, I'm glad we are.
Where did you get that picture of me on my wedding day?
Dr. Joe, the fact that you are still here and doing things your ancestors would not have lived long enough to do, has a great deal to do with evolution, and the author of the book shines a light on that subject. It's not my intent to criticize or praise the many ideas discussed, but I do find them important and relevant, offering new insights even if, as he admits, they are not always definitive judgments.
I better get a copy of the book and read it.