Aging societies: human victory or evolutionary trap?

Dr. G.C.F. Thomése

Results 2006

Drs. Kaptijn first analyses the prevalence of trade-offs in the Dutch research populations (question 1), with a focus on the quantity-quality trade-off, and on the cost of fertility. Drs. Van Bodegom wil first analyse genetic markers in Ghana and the Netherlands (question 2). Genetic samples have been made available for this purpose. Based on data on African participants in the HAPmap project, so called tagging SNP´s have been identified for certain genes. These variants allow determination of population variation in the genes under study, and relating these to life history characteristics such as fecundity, early and late survival. Depending on the outcomes conjoint publications will be prepared next (question 4). The grandmother hypothesis (question 3) will be analysed in cooperation in The Netherlands and Ghana.