The consequences of parental age on offspring fitness in humans

Description

The consequences that parental age at birth have on children’s fitness is important for understanding the evolution of the human life history. However, examining the intergenerational effects of ageing in human observational studies is challenging because parental ages correlate with many factors such as wealth and family structure. We estimated the effects of parental age on children’s lifespan and reproduction using Swiss genealogical records from 1700-1950. We used within-subject centring to distinguish between among- and within-individual effects, controlling for confounding factors such as socioeconomic status, birth order, and temporal variation. We found that as both mothers and fathers age, their offspring have reduced childhood survival. However, we find no consequences of parental age on the lifespan of children after childhood, or their reproductive success, where social factors appear more
important. Our results illustrate the importance of accounting for confounders when examining parental age effects and that reproductive ageing may shape selection on human reproductive timing through reduced childhood survival of offspring.

Periode	23-apr.-2024
Evenementstitel	Netherlands Society for Evolutionary Biology Meeting 2024
Evenementstype	Conference
Organisator	Dutch Society for Evolutionary Biology (NLSEB)
Sponsor	Dutch Research Council (NWO)
Locatie	Ede, NetherlandsToon op kaart
Mate van erkenning	International