Antagonistic pleiotropy
DEAntagonistische Pleiotropie
Antagonistic pleiotropy, formulated by evolutionary biologist George C. Williams in 1957, holds that genes selected for benefits early in life can cause harm later, after reproduction has occurred. Because selection pressure weakens with age, such alleles persist despite late-life costs. The hypothesis is a foundational explanation for why aging evolved and remains a leading evolutionary framework alongside mutation accumulation and disposable soma theory.