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Cited by 670Insurance, Mortality, Demography, Risk ManagementEvolutionary Psychology and Human BehaviorForensic Anthropology and Bioarchaeology Studies

Longevity Among Hunter‐ Gatherers: A Cross‐Cultural Examination

Open access
Gurven, Michael, Kaplan, Hillard·2007·Population and Development Review
DOI 10.1111/j.1728-4457.2007.00171.x
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Abstract

Post‐reproductive longevity is a robust feature of human life and not only a recent phenomenon caused by improvements in sanitation, public health, and medical advances. We argue for an adaptive life span of 68‐78 years for modern Homo sapiens based on our analysis of mortality profiles obtained from small‐scale hunter‐gatherer and horticultural populations from around the world. We compare patterns of survivorship across the life span, rates of senescence, modal ages at adult death, and causes of death. We attempt to reconcile our results with those derived from paleodemographic studies that characterize prehistoric human lives as “nasty, brutish, and short,” and with observations of recent acculturation among contemporary subsistence populations. We integrate information on age‐specific dependency and resource production to help explain the adaptive utility of longevity in humans from an evolutionary perspective.

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  • Until recently, approximately 50% of humans died from infectious causes before adulthood, providing strong selective pressure for genetic alleles that enhance host defence.

    “Until recently, approximately 50% of humans died from infectious causes before adulthood, thereby providing strong selective pressure for genetic alleles that enhance host defence124.”

    From The role of inflammation in depression: from evolutionary imperative to modern treatment target (2016) · cites this paper as [124]

    The Methodology section (page unavailable) reports that 57% of children born among traditional hunter-gatherers survived to age 15, indicating substantial pre-adult mortality, but it does not say that approximately 50% died from infection. The Summary of results attributes 70% of deaths across all ages to illnesses, largely including infectious disease; a later discussion describes selection for defense and repair, not specifically genetic alleles enhancing host defence. (LLM, conf=0.88)

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  • Hunter-gatherers and horticulturalists display similar age-schedules of survivorship and fertility.

    “yet hunter-gatherers and horticulturalists display similar age-schedules of survivorship [20], [21] and fertility [22], [23].”

    From Physical Activity and Modernization among Bolivian Amerindians (2013) · cites this paper as [20]

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Research works printed but not linked: 6

  1. [2]2. Bahuchet, S. (ed.). 1979. Pygmées de Centrafrique: études ethnologiques, historiques et linguistiques sur les Pygmées "BaMbenga" du Nord-Ouest du bassin congolais. Paris: SELAF.
  2. [56]56. Hewlett, B. S., J. M. H. van de Koppel, and M. van de Koppel. 1986. "Causes of death among Aka pygmies of the Central African Republic," in L. L. Cavalli Sforza (ed.), African Pygmies. New York: Academic Press.
  3. [81]81. ---. 1965. "The demography of the Australian Aborigines," International Social Science Journal 17: 232-245.
  4. [96]96. Pennington, R. L. 1996. "Causes of early human population growth," American Journal of Physi- cal Anthropology 99: 259-274.
  5. [127]127. Wilbert, J. and M. Layrisse (eds.). 1980. Demographic and Biological Studies of the Warao Indians. Los Angeles: UCLA Latin American Center Publications.
  6. [131]131. Wood, J. W. 1980. "Mechanisms of demographic equilibrium in a small human population, the Gainj of Papua New Guinea," Ph.D. dissertation, University of Michigan.

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Authors
Gurven, M., & Kaplan, H.
Affiliations
  • University of California, Santa Barbara (US)
  • University of New Mexico (US)
ORCID
Venue
Population and Development Review
Publisher
Wiley
Published
2007-05-29
Volume
33
Issue
2
Pages
321-365
ISSN
  • 0098-7921 (ISSN-L)
  • 1728-4457
DOI
10.1111/j.1728-4457.2007.00171.x
OpenAlex
W2054396204
Cited by
670
References
173
Citations by year
2026: 37 · 2025: 41 · 2024: 43 · 2023: 38 · 2022: 30 · 2021: 74 · 2020: 56 · 2019: 67 · 2018: 36 · 2017: 33 · 2016: 34 · 2015: 32 · 2014: 29 · 2013: 28 · 2012: 22
FWCI
48.08
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/termsAndConditions#vor (vor)
Locations
Population and Development Review (publishedVersion)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Demography › Insurance, Mortality, Demography, Risk Management
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Evolutionary Psychology and Human Behavior
  • Social Sciences › Arts and Humanities › Archeology › Forensic Anthropology and Bioarchaeology Studies
Keywords
human longevity, hunter-gatherers, mortality profile, senescence, adult mortality, causes of death, paleodemography, acculturation, resource production

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