AGING AND SEXUAL REPRODUCTION

We consider an analytical approach to the Penna model with sexual repr oduction. We have written evolution equations for the frequency of dis eases acting at different ages and considered the special case where a ll mutations are deleterious and all disease alleles are dominant. In this case we could predict senescence beginning at the onset of the re productive age, becoming very marked after the reproduction period is over. A maximum life span is obtained. Numerical simulation results ar e in good agreement with the analytical calculations. (C) 1998 Elsevie r Science B.V. All rights reserved.