The age patterns of human fertility and mortality: a new, evo-demographic model

Annette Baudisch, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research
James W. Vaupel, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research

This paper will give the background to our presentation at the IUSSP 2005 in Tours. In particular, section 6 will help shed light on the following questions: Why does human mortality increase after reproductive maturity? Why do humans reach menarche only after more than a decade of intensive parental care? Why do humans not mature much earlier? Why do humans not stay healthy, young and productive until finally dying by some unlucky event? We will address these questions by developing a general life-history model of energy allocation between growth and reproduction. The human demographic schedules result as an optimal strategy for a specific set of parameters. The specific parameters distinguish the human life-course from that of other living creatures.