Phase transitions, universality and superuniversality in mortality evolution

The probability lx(x̄) to survive a given age x yields a phase transition at a certain value x∗ of the mean lifespan x̄. There the rate dlx(x̄)/dx̄ of the survival evolution has a jump. The critical x∗ is independent of age, population and living conditions. The dependence of lx(x̄) on x and x̄ is reduced to the functions of x only. They determine the universal lx(x̄), which for all x and x̄ agrees with experimental data without any adjustable parameters. In advanced and old age the functions of age are superuniversal – in dimensionless variables they are the same for species as remote as humans and flies. The implications of the presented results for evolution and genetics of mortality are discussed.