A couple of remarks to expand on RowanE's points for anyone who may be skeptical that evolution cares at all about longevity past (something like) typical childrearing age:
This is all true. However buyandbuydavis has a point. Evolution optimizes for offspring and longevity is only selected for as a means to that end. When you selectively breed and mutate fruit flies and nematodes for lifespan over hundreds of generations you can double or triple them, universally at the expense of total offspring. Granted mammals are much more k selected, putting lots of effort into a few offspring, than those r selected species that throw hundreds or even thousands of eggs to the wind per generation so lifespan does matter at least some...
If it's worth saying, but not worth its own post (even in Discussion), then it goes here.
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