Density-dependent natural selection does not increase efficiency

Point:Counterpoint: Skeletal muscle mechanical efficiency does/does not increase with age POINT: SKELETAL MUSCLE MECHANICAL EFFICIENCY DOES INCREASE WITH AGE

We thank Dr. Ortega for the opportunity to debate the concept that aging affects exercise efficiency. From the outset we must acknowledge that, indeed, some studies report an age-related reduction task efficiency during walking and other rather complex tasks (2, 12, 20, 21). However, in contrast, our recent study of leg cycling in centenarians (28), as well as other work focused more specifical...

Natural selection and density-dependent population growth.

Natural selection was studied in the context of density-dependent population growth using a single locus, continuous time model for the rates of change of population size and allele frequency. The maximization principle of density-dependent selection was applied to a class of fitness expressions with explicit recruitment and mortality terms. Three general results were obtained: First, at low po...

Life efficiency does not always increase with the dissipation rate

There does not exist a general positive correlation between important life-supporting properties and the entropy production rate. The simple reason is that nondissipative and time-symmetric kinetic aspects are also relevant for establishing optimal functioning. In fact those aspects are even crucial in the nonlinear regimes around equilibrium where we find biological processing on mesoscopic sc...

Does natural selection increase or decrease variability at linked Loci.

Natural 'poor start' does not increase mortality over the lifetime.

Poor nutrition and other challenges during infancy can impose delayed costs, and it has been proposed that expression of costs during adulthood should involve increased mortality rather than reduced reproduction. Demonstrations of delayed costs come mostly from experimental manipulations of the diet and hormones of captive infants of short-lived species, and we know very little about how natura...