An appendix to Brian Mac Lean=B4s question and Loren Cordain=B4s post about
paleolithic longevity: The existence of a female menopause in humans is a
strong evidence for a maximal paleolithic lifespan that widely exceeds
average life expectancy. Can we suppose, that the paleolithic population
pyramid of Homo sapiens was slim (due to higher mortality rates in each
decade), but had the same height as a modern one? In Austria (8 million
inhabitants) we have more than 300 centenarians. Were there sporadic
centenarian humans 100.000 or 15.000 years ago? Or in modern paleolithic
surrogates: There is no question, that some of them live to the age of
sixty - but are there Queen Mummies in the !Kung or Yanomamo?

In all industrialized countries average lifespan increases. Only average
lifespan or maximal lifespan too? A similar example are some animals in
captivity, for instance more than 50 years old apes. Is this only the
broadened top of the demographic iceberg or has the top become higher?


Ruediger Hoeflechner