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. 1992 Oct 16;258(5081):457-61.
doi: 10.1126/science.1411540.

Slowing of mortality rates at older ages in large medfly cohorts

J R Carey  1 , P Liedo, D Orozco, J W Vaupel
Affiliations

Slowing of mortality rates at older ages in large medfly cohorts

J R Carey et al. Science. .

Abstract

It is generally assumed for most species that mortality rates increase monotonically at advanced ages. Mortality rates were found to level off and decrease at older ages in a population of 1.2 million medflies maintained in cages of 7,200 and in a group of approximately 48,000 adults maintained in solitary confinement. Thus, life expectancy in older individuals increased rather than decreased with age. These results cast doubt on several central concepts in gerontology and the biology of aging: (i) that senescence can be characterized by an increase in age-specific mortality, (ii) that the basic pattern of mortality in nearly all species follows the same unitary pattern at older ages, and (iii) that species have absolute life-span limits.

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Comment in

  • Mortality: overturning received wisdom.
    Barinaga M. Barinaga M. Science. 1992 Oct 16;258(5081):398-9. doi: 10.1126/science.1411534. Science. 1992. PMID: 1411534 No abstract available.
  • Fruit fly aging and mortality.
    Gavrilov LA, Gavrilova NS. Gavrilov LA, et al. Science. 1993 Jun 11;260(5114):1565; author reply 1567-9. doi: 10.1126/science.8502999. Science. 1993. PMID: 8502999 No abstract available.
  • Fruit fly aging and mortality.
    Olshansky SJ, Carnes BA, Cassel CK. Olshansky SJ, et al. Science. 1993 Jun 11;260(5114):1565-7; author reply 1567-9. doi: 10.1126/science.8503000. Science. 1993. PMID: 8503000 No abstract available.
  • Fruit fly aging and mortality.
    Nusbaum TJ, Graves JL, Mueller LD, Rose MR. Nusbaum TJ, et al. Science. 1993 Jun 11;260(5114):1567; author reply 1567-9. doi: 10.1126/science.8503001. Science. 1993. PMID: 8503001 No abstract available.
  • Explaining fruit fly longevity.
    Kowald A, Kirkwood TB. Kowald A, et al. Science. 1993 Jun 11;260(5114):1664-5; author reply 1665-6. doi: 10.1126/science.8503014. Science. 1993. PMID: 8503014 No abstract available.
  • Explaining fruit fly longevity.
    Robine JM, Ritchie K. Robine JM, et al. Science. 1993 Jun 11;260(5114):1665; author reply 1665-6. doi: 10.1126/science.8503015. Science. 1993. PMID: 8503015 No abstract available.

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