Human life expectancy has increased so much over the last four
generations that 72 can be considered “the new 30”, according to
a study led by researchers from Germany. The study, published
today in US journal PNAS, found that mortality at younger ages
is now 200 times lower than that of previous generations, with
the bulk of mortality reduction occurring since 1900. The study
used already published data to make comparisons between human
populations (past and present), and other species, said Susan
Lawler, head of LaTrobe University’s Department of Environmental
Management & Ecology. The findings reveal that hunter gatherers
at age 30 have the same probability of dying as Japanese
individuals at age 72, with the average mortality of hunter
gatherers nearer to chimpanzees than to humans in some
industrialised countries. By comparing the longevity of humans
with that of other species, including fruit flies, the
researchers make the case that the drop in mortality stems not
from modifications to genes, but from