Computational evaluation of new theory of ageing and evolution

What is it about?

This study is concerned with a recently proposed framework, which conceptualises development and ageing as a continuous process, driven by genetically encoded epigenetic changes in target sets of cells. According to the Evolvable Soma Theory of Ageing (ESTA), ageing reflects the cumulative manifestation of epigenetic changes that are predominantly expressed during the post-reproductive phase. These late-acting modifications are not yet evolutionarily optimised but are instead subject to ongoing selection, functioning as somatic “experiments” through which evolution explores novel phenotypic variation. These experiments are often detrimental, leading to progressive physical decline and eventual death, while a small subset may produce beneficial adaptations, that evolution can exploit to shape future developmental trajectories.

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Why is it important?

If validated, this theory could transform our understanding of ageing and evolution, two fundamental biological processes that that still pose a challenge from a both theoretical and practical viewpoint.