evlPanda said..FormulaNova said..
We are also meant to have children at a young age of our late teens, care for them until they are old enough, and then die at the ripe old age of 30.
People are
not living any longer than before.
More people are living longer is what is happening.
Humans will live for much longer than 30 if they don't have an accident. It's nothing new.
In modern society, with good nutrition, and good health care, sure, but I don't think its been that long that this has been more common than not. The genetics haven't changed, but the environment we live in has and enables us to live longer.
I would argue that after reproduction takes place, evolution doesn't care what happens with us. If you have children between 16 and 24 for example, if you live to 30 or 80 makes no evolutionary impact. As you have already reproduced, if you have genes that mean you die at 30, they are just as valid as genes that have you die at 90.
Of course, there is suggestion that grandparents (35 year olds?) would have been a benefit in some societies by freeing up the parents to hunt and therefore support more children.
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