Life can be very unfair when it comes to health and length of life. When residents of a wealthy U.S. zip code live more than a decade longer than a poorer one, we need to ask why.

Among red deer and other animals, including elephant seals, high-status males do most of the reproducing but pay a significant price to their health from constant aggressive competition. Generally speaking, though, high-status animals (female and male) have priority in access to food, lead low-stress lives, and are healthier. So, one might expect them to lead longer lives. The increased lifespan of high-status humans fits a broader pattern of high status contributing to better health and reproductive success. Could these advantages be the product of genetics?

Large elephant seal males are better equipped to control a breeding territory and leave more offspring than smaller males. They are larger because large individuals are genetically selected.

Among humans, the longer lifespan of wealthy individuals could also be a product of gene selection. The idea is that some individuals have genetic advantages when it comes to health. They are healthier during their lives, live longer, and leave more offspring.

This theory is supported by evidence that longevity is mildly heritable. Presumably those who lead........

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