Old men chasing young women: A good thing

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It turns out that older men chasing younger women contributes to human longevity and the survival of the species, according to new findings by researchers at Stanford and the University of California-Santa Barbara.

Evolutionary theory says that individuals should die of old age when their reproductive lives are complete, generally by age 55 in humans, according to demographer Cedric Puleston, a doctoral candidate in biological sciences at Stanford. But the fatherhood of a small number of older men is enough to postpone the date with death because natural selection fights life-shortening mutations until the species is finished reproducing.

“Rod Stewart and David Letterman having babies in their 50s and 60s provide no benefit for their personal survival, but the pattern [of reproducing at a later age] has an effect on the population as a whole,” Puleston said. “It’s advantageous to the species if these people stick around. By increasing the survival of men you have a spillover effect on women because men pass their genes to children of both sexes.”

“Why Men Matter: Mating Patterns Drive Evolution of Human Lifespan,” was published Aug. 29 in the online journal Public Library of Science ONE. Shripad Tuljapurkar, the Morrison Professor of Population Studies at Stanford; Puleston; and Michael Gurven, an assistant professor of anthropology at UCSB, co-authored the study in an effort to understand why humans don’t die when female reproduction ends.

Human ability to scale the so-called “wall of death”—surviving beyond the reproductive years—has been a center of scientific controversy for more than 50 years, Puleston said. “The central question is: Why should a species that stops reproducing by some age stick around afterward?” he said. “Evolutionary theory predicts that, over time, harmful mutations that decrease survival will arise in the population and will remain invisible to natural selection after reproduction ends.” However, in hunter-gatherer societies, which likely represent early human demographic conditions and mating patterns, one-third of people live beyond 55 years, past the reproductive lifespan for women. Furthermore, life expectancy in today’s industrialized countries is 75 to 85 years, with mortality increasing gradually, not abruptly, following female menopause.

Grandmother hypothesis

In 1966, William Hamilton, a British evolutionary biologist, worked out the mathematics describing the “wall of death.” Since then, the most popular explanation for why humans don’t die by age 55 has been termed the “grandmother hypothesis,” which suggests that women enhance the survival of their children and grandchildren by living long enough to care for them and “increasing the success of their genes,” Puleston said. However, Hamilton’s work has been difficult to express as a mathematical and genetic argument explaining why people live into old age.

Unlike previous research on human reproduction, this study—for the first time—includes data on males, a tweak that allowed the researchers to begin answering the “wall of death” question by matching it to human mortality patterns. According to Puleston, earlier studies looked only at women, because scientists can reproduce good datasets for humans entirely based on information related to female fertility and survival rates.

“Men’s fertility is contingent on women’s fertility—you have to figure out how they match up. We care about reproduction because that is a currency by which force of selection is counted. If we have not accounted for the entire pattern of reproduction, we may be missing something that’s important to evolution.”

Men and longevity

In the paper, the researchers analyzed “a general two-sex model to show that selection favors survival for as long as men reproduce.” The scientists presented a “range of data showing that males much older than 50 years have substantial realized fertility through matings with younger females, a pattern that was likely typical among early humans.” As a result, Puleston said, older male fertility helps to select against damaging cell mutations in humans who have passed the age of female menopause, consequently eliminating the “wall of death.”

“Our analysis shows that old-age male fertility allows evolution to breach Hamilton’s wall of death and predicts a gradual rise in mortality after the age of female menopause without relying on ‘grandmother’ effects or economic optimality,” the researchers say in the paper.

The scientists compiled longevity and fertility data from two hunter-gatherer groups, the Dobe !Kung of the Kalahari and the Ache of Paraguay, one of the most isolated populations in the world. They also looked at the forager-farmer Yanomamo of Brazil and Venezuela, and the Tsimane, an indigenous group in Bolivia. “They’re living a lifestyle that our ancestors lived and their fertility patterns are probably most consistent with our ancestors,” Puleston said about the four groups. The study also looked at several farming villages in Gambia and, for comparison, a group of modern Canadians.

In the less developed, traditional societies, males were as much as 5-to-15 years older than their female partners. In the United States and Europe, the age spread was about two years. “It’s a universal pattern that in typical marriages men are older than women,” Puleston said. “The age gaps vary by culture, but in every group we looked at men start [being reproductive] later. At the end of reproduction, male fertility rates taper off gradually, as opposed to the fairly sharp decline in female fertility by menopause.”

Despite small differences based on marriage traditions, all women and most men in the six groups stopped having children by their 50s, the researchers found. But some men, particularly high-status males, continued to reproduce into their 70s. The paper noted that the age gap is most pronounced in societies that favor polygyny, where a man takes several wives, and in gerontocracies, where older men monopolize access to reproductive women. The authors also cite genetic and anthropological evidence that early humans were probably polygynous as well.

Older male fertility also exists in societies supporting serial monogamy, because men are more likely to remarry than women. “For these reasons, we argue that realized male fertility was substantial at ages well past female menopause for much of human history and the result is reflected in the mortality patterns of modern populations,” the authors say. “We conclude that deleterious mutations acting after the age of female menopause are selected against … solely as a result of the matings between older males and younger females.”

According to Puleston, the “grandmother hypothesis” may be true, but the real pattern of male fertility extends beyond this explanation. “The key question is: Does the population have a greater growth rate if men are reproducing at a later age? The answer is ‘yes.’ The age of last reproduction gets pushed into the 60s and 70s if you add men to the analysis. Hamilton’s approach was right, but in a species where males and females have different reproductive patterns, you need a two-sex model. You can’t correctly estimate the force of selection if you leave men out of the picture. As a man myself, it’s gratifying to know that men do matter.”

Grants from the U.S. National Institute on Aging supported this study.


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1,805 thoughts on “Old men chasing young women: A good thing”

  1. It is amazing news and satisfies my mental urge that why I feel to have sex and attracted in my old age towards the younger one. I really felt shamed in this matter. But now excited to know that his is a scientific truth.

  4. As men get older they see a decline in testosterone, a decline in fertility, and a greater chance of fathering children with genetic problems. Men’s testosterone levels ebb after age 25, sperm quality deteriorates with age, and there’s a higher rate of genetic defects than there is with the sperm of younger men. In recent years clinical trials have found links between the father’s age and genetically related conditions such as Down syndrome and schizophrenia.

    In a study published in the journal Fertility and Sterility, researchers interviewed nearly 2,000 women about how long it took them to conceive. Among women 35 and older, those whose male partners were 45 and older took five times longer to conceive than those whose partners were 25 or younger. The researchers also looked at what happens when young women (age 25 and under) have children with men 45 and older. Again, the researchers found a substantial, fourfold increase in the time it took couples to conceive – meaning the man’s age was a factor independent of the woman’s age.

    Just because he can make sperm doesn’t mean it’s high-quality sperm. As men age, the volume, motility (a.k.a. speed), and quality of their sperm decline. In 2001, the journal Fertility & Sterility published one of the largest reviews of male fertility to date. The authors found that between ages 30 and 50, the average man’s sperm declines by up to 30 percent in volume, swims up to 37 percent slower, and is five times more likely to be misshapen. Shape is important because it correlates with the sperm’s genetic content. A higher number of misshapen sperm equals a greater potential for genetic abnormalities.

    Some genetic abnormalities, like dwarfism, have long been associated with fraternal age, but we didn’t give these problems much scientific attention because they’re relatively rare.

    On the evidence that sperm from older men is more likely to have genetic abnormalities, some European countries have prohibited men from becoming sperm donors after reaching a certain age.

    A man’s waist size is directly proportional to his testosterone level. All fat cells break down testosterone, but belly fat destroys testosterone the fastest, because visceral fat is broken down into estrogen more quickly than other types of fat. Estrogen basically cancels out testosterone in this situation – so the higher a man’s waist measurement, the lower his testosterone level.
    “One of the best markers we have of the male biological clock is an increase in DNA-damaged sperm. At age 25, only 5 percent of a man’s sperm has DNA damage; by age 35, that percentage has grown to 20 percent. That’s a fourfold increase in just ten years. As the percentage of damaged sperm increases, the odds of fertilization decrease.” – Narendra Singh, associate professor in the Department of Bioengineering at the University of Washington, Seattle

    • To the point!!! THREE thumbs up!!! :-)

      The writer of that article must have wanted to interpret the ‘facts’ in own way… hahah

    • None of that research matters or even pertains to the research the author posted. Just because the motility of sperm and testosterone are both decreased, doesn’t mean anything to the article. The research in the article says something very simple (but doesn’t say it well enough): when older men reproduce it adds (overall) to the longevity of the society. Why? Because they lived that long, and that longevity will be passed to their offspring. Motility and sperm count doesn’t matter at all, concerning this.

      As far as testosterone being “directly proportional to his testosterone level”, that is pure bunk. Haha. Where do you get this stuff? NO STUDY has even concluded that weight is “directly proportional” to testosterone level. That is a fact. Speaking of facts… the fact is, this isn’t your post. This post was cut and pasted from somewhere else on the ‘Net:

      http://www.babycenter.com/0_the-male-biological-clock-its-tick-tick-ticking-too_1490614.bc

      Sadly, this isn’t anything new. One person posts bunk and then dozens cut and paste it, pretending they wrote it, in the meantime passing along more erroneous information.

      As far as “bad sperm” this is why God (or nature if you prefer) designed the female vagina to be such a hostile place to sperm. Only the best sperm make it to the egg, and only the best of the best make it inside.

      Other studies of older men having children with younger women showed no (statistically) higher incidence of defects in offspring than with younger men. The studies show it is the combination of older men with older women that causes the problem. An older woman will have a lower chance of children with defects if she mates with a younger man, but the rates are still astronomical compared to the reverse situation (a young woman with an older man).

      It is very easy to sort a man’s sperm for healthy candidates and inseminate, it doesn’t even require removing the egg to fertilize, the sorted sperm can be directly introduced into the vagina with a syringe (or turkey baster) ;-) However, the opposite is VERY expensive and much more involved.

      Bottom line, there are very few problems with older men having children with younger women, and those problems can be easily, and (relatively) inexpensively remedied (if one is worried). However, older women having children with younger men (and especially older men) is very, very high risk, and the remedy (if one is available) is incredibly expensive. When you combine that real info with the results from this study, it’s clear that older men having kids with younger women is really a win-win situation for everybody (including the children and society in general).

  5. YOU ALL idiot BASTARDS.Most you guys really sick.Specialy people from africa most off them scam looking for some idiot people.

  6. desde hace 2 años salgo con un hombre 24 años mayor, y puedo asegurar que con el he tenido el mejor sexo de mi vida. ¿sera la experiencia?

  7. My experience is so peretty. I got second marry at the age of 42. my second wife is only 24.still we are happy enough in mind and body. When I was 45 then i got more creasy about sex and trying to find a mature lady between 28-32. I got one through cell phone who was so beautiful that i can,t experse at all. I am not at all good looking man. we had relation until she was creasy to marry me and i leave when she disclose it to my daughter. now i am 56. I have now three girl friend all of them are bellow 35 and one is really 23. Still we are enjoying mind and body and i am enjoying with my second wife as well. very interisting thing I become more creasy with my wife after meeting any of my girl friend.

    • You must be a “creasy” ladies man, Golpoo. I wonder how attractive you’ll be to these women when you start Golpoo’ing your pants. An older man with younger woman, I have no problem with that, but some doof coming in here and bragging about committing adultery with three different women, that’s just “creasy” and sleazy and more lousy than I can “experse”.

  8. My third and last wife. She’s 27 and I am 42.. She seeked me and she makes three times my income..She never had a boyfriend or relation or anything,,,How could I be so lucky??? As we walk down the street she turns all heads,,,Wow what a bomb shell she is. Her unwavering loyality is so amazing to me. Maybe it has something to do with her culture (filipino) or maybe cause her parents are thirteen years apart, an it’s normal for her… I really don’t know,, we are just a perfect match in mind and body….That’s my scientific input,,,,,Happy New Year

  10. I agree that ABC is better than XYZ, especially when it comes to quality. I have been using ABC for the last 3 years it never dissapointed me. Does anybody know when the new version is coming out?”

  11. Am Originally from Ghana but will be coming to Canada very soon and also am looking for an old woman who is looking for a young guy, you can email me via [email protected] and i will get back to you asap if you are interested, Have a wonderful day.

    Nic

    • Hello Nicholas

      I am an old woman looking for a young man with a young dick as I despise old men. They have old cock.

  12. i am 26 years old and my boyfriend is 51 years old now..our age gap is 25 years..i do believe that man at age of 40 and above the habit when it come to sex is like a teenager…..

  13. Hello
    I want to share my views abount sex with and hoping for your comments on it.
    I am 51 years old man
    I have a sex willing that never ending
    Whenever I see any beautiful lady specially married
    my sex will grow up and goes to dream
    I feel that lady in my bed room
    I am kissing his choot, legs, breast
    putting my panis in her mouth
    and feeling her sexy crying
    Although my wife is a house hold wife and she feel sex desire after his period that is alleast two or three days

    • Who do western women find uglier, Asian men, Indian men or Arab men?

      It seems like women find white men the best looking but what type of men do women find the ugliest?

      • Replying to the question above

        The ugliest men would be Asian men because even ugly Asian women are not interested in them. Ugly Asian women go with white men. So what does that say about Asian men?

      • Matt, thats crap. I only like brown men. and yes i’m one of those “younger women” talked about in this article. I’m 27 and my husband is 40.

      • oh and the sex is AMAZING :D In my experience older men are more interested in mutual satisfaction, unlike young men just getting their rocks off.any smart man realizes that to ensure regular sex, all you have to do is please your partner ;)

  15. I AM A VERY BEAUTIFUL LADY AGED OF 25 NOW. LAST 8 YEARS I MARRIED TO A OLD MAN. I BELONGES TO A POOR FAMILY. MY FATHER IS A PEON OF A PRIVATE AGRICULTURAL FACTORY. MY MOTHER IS A HOUSE WIFE. I HAVE 3 YOUNGER SISTER. MY PARENTS ARE VERY POOR . SO THEY ALWAYS WORRIES ABOUT MY MARRIAGE. MR. SINGAL IS ONE OF THE LAND LORD OF OUR VILLAGE. HE HAVE 2 WIVES. HIS AGE IS 61 YEARS. HE IS MY FATHER’S CHILD HOOD FRIEND.HE IS VERY ROMANTIC AND SEXUAL. BERCAUSE I AM A BEAUTIFUL LADY HE WANT’S TO MARRIE ME. HE TOLD MY FATHER THAT HIS OTHER TWO WIVES
    NOW OLD. I WANT TO MARRIE TO YOUR ELDER DAUGHTER MEANS WITH ME. HE SAYS I ALSO HELP TO YOUR OTHER DAUGHTER FOR FINANCIAL SUPPORT FOR MARRIAGE. MY PARENTS AGGRYED IN HIS PROPOSAL AND FINALLY MY PARENTS GIVE MY HAND TO THAT OLD MAN OF61. AFTER MY MARRIES MY MOTHER SAYS THAT YOU DO NOT FELL YOUR HUSBAND IS OLD MAN . BECAUSE OLD MAN GIVES YOU VERY MUCH SEX PLEASURE. I AM ALSO ASTONISHED THAT IN MY FIRST NIGHT MY OLD HUSBAND PUTOFF ALL MY DRESS LIKE SARIES,BLOUSE AND MY BRA. WHEN I AM IN BAREBOUDY HE PUT HIS PANNIS INTO MY VAGINA AND PUSH UPS AND DOWN HEALSO PUT MY NIPLE INTO HIS MOUTH. HE MADE TWICE TO THRISE SEX PLAY WITH ME. LAST 8 YEARS AGO. NOW I AM MOTHER OF 3 DAUGHTER AND A SON HE IS NOW 70 . STILL HE PLAY HIS SEX WITH ME TWICE A DAY NOW. MY HUSBAND OTHER 2 WIVES NOW ACEPT ME AS THERE SISTER . THEY TOLD ME THAT WE BOUTH HAVE 4 CHILD . BUT YOU HAVE 4 CHILD . SO OLD MAN ALWAYS PUT HIS PENNIS IN TO YOUR VAGINA. SO YOU DELIVERED 4 CHILDERN IN 8 YEARS. I TOLD THEM MY OLD HUSBAND IS MORE YOUNGER THEN US( THREE WIVES) NOW WE THREE WIVES ARE OLD BECAUSE NOW WE HAVE MANY CHILDREN. I ALSO PRAGANATE OF FIVE MONTH WAITING FOR MY 5TH DELIVARY.SO NOW I AM OLD WOMAN BUT MY 70 YEAR’S HUSBAND IS YOUNG BOY. SO I FELL OLD MAN NEVER OLD. IN SEXPLAY. THEY ALWAYS YOUNG , YOUNG AND YOUNG.

  16. I hope this research gets more publicity for men in my age bracket this is just the sort of news we want to hear at Christmas! I guess the only drawback is we have to be mindful of the implications and get ready to take a paternity test when asked!

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  19. I agree with the Hamilton because every research should have the comparison.i.e, between the men and women

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