HOMO IMMORTALIS

a thought experiment on immortality and genetic stagnation

Imagine an ancient Hominid species "Homo Immortalis" who never die from old age. Gruk, a 347 year old chieftain culminated to his peak fitness and sexual maturity at 25 and has remained that way. His tribe has expanded continuously, filling the available local niche, exhausting the resources and putting them in contact with dangerous predators. In order to protect his tribe from the ravages of overpopulation, Gruk outlaws sexual intercourse except in the case of a member's premature death. In order to maintain the population Gruk proposes that he be the sole bearer of male sexual duties. Where in some Lion's pride a younger male might challenge an ageing alpha, Gruk never weakens and so stems genetic adaptation by repeatedly introducing the same set of genes into the gene pool.

100,000 years pass and the peaceful and perfectly ordered tribe of Homo Immortalis, who's brains are all the same volume as Gruk's, run into Homo Sapiens, who's brains have been through a brutal and messy process of natural selection, ballooning to twice the size. Gruk, who has become accustomed to the unquestioning devotion of his people attempts to force his will on the new population, they refuse, a battle ensues and, owing to the superior brain power of the Homo Sapiens tribe, Homo Immortalis is undone in one stroke.

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It was the other day when I read the following poem by "Homo Unrequitus" (actually by Brian Bilston) that reminded me to post the above