[Reading Science] Since the Beginning of Humanity, Dad Has Always Been 'Oppa'

Indiana University Research Team Analyzes DNA Mutations
Successfully Estimates Average Human Reproductive Age Over 250,000 Years
Male Age 7.5 Years Higher Than Female

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Bong-su] Since the beginning of human history, research has shown that 'fathers' have always been older than 'mothers.'

A research team from Indiana University in the United States published a paper with these findings on the 6th in the international academic journal Science Advances. This paper estimated the age range of pregnancy and childbirth over different eras by analyzing genetic mutations in human DNA over the past 250,000 years, revealing that men marry and have children on average more than 7.5 years later than women.

Similar studies have recently been conducted by analyzing DNA in a time-series manner and comparing it with large-scale genetic databanks, but these were limited to estimating only about the past 40,000 years. The research team significantly extended the analyzable timeframe to 250,000 years by tracking spontaneous genetic mutations in modern human DNA. All children carry new mutations that their parents do not have. These arise from DNA damage before the sperm and egg meet for fertilization or from random errors during cell division after fertilization. Notably, older parents pass on more mutations than younger parents, and there are differences between males and females.

Reference photo. Not related to the article.

To verify the age of pregnancy and the presence of genetic mutations, the research team collected genes from 1,500 Icelanders across three generations. They trained software to associate specific mutations and their frequencies with the parents' age and gender. Then, they applied this to the genes of 2,500 modern individuals worldwide to identify mutations that appeared at various points in human history.

As a result, the research team was able to determine the average age at which males and females became parents throughout human history. Over the past 250,000 years, the average age of pregnancy was 26.9 years. There was a significant gender gap. Males became fathers at an average age of 30.7 years, which was 7.5 years older than females becoming mothers at 23.2 years. Richard Wang, a professor at Indiana University who led the study, explained, "Since males generally have a longer biological reproductive age than females, it can be seen that the average age of fathers is higher."

Of course, social influences must also be considered. Mikkel Schierup, a demography professor at Aarhus University in Denmark, pointed out, "This study's results also highlight that social factors could be the cause," adding, "Men face pressure to establish certain social statuses such as jobs and property before marriage and childbirth."

Meanwhile, there are counterarguments that linking all genetic mutations to parents' age and gender is an excessive analysis, as genetic mutations occur due to various causes.