Age 115 or more in the United States: Fact or fiction?

Young, Robert H.

doi:10.1007/978-3-642-11520-2_15

Cited by 7 publications

(11 citation statements)

References 2 publications

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“…One of the well-known examples of disproved supercentenarians, Pierre Joubert, 24 who died in 1814 at the age of 113, was not questioned until the end of the 20th century, when the demographer Hubert Charbonneau showed that Pierre Joubert had in fact died in 1766 and it was his son, born in 1732, who has been mistakenly considered as the oldest Canadian for a long time. It is important to note that in this and other false examples of long-lived people, 43,44 the substitution was not pre-planned, so it was quite easy to expose (Charbonneau found the real death record of Pierre Joubert). In the case of Jeanne Calment, on the other hand, we are talking about a well-planned identity switch in the distant past of 1934.…”

Section: Conclusion: Lessons For the Futurementioning

confidence: 93%

“…In the past, oral testimony was enough to recognize the age of a person, but now multiple pieces of documentary evidence are required for validation, and numerous myths have been debunked. 23,24,43,44 Robert Young, the director of the GRG, a consultant for the Guinness Book of Records and the administrator of the 110 Club, writes that in cases when the declared age is approaching 120 years, the validation should be very thorough, as was done in the case of Jeanne Calment. To stress this point, a list of false examples of long-lived people is provided in Young et al, 2010.…”

Section: Conclusion: Lessons For the Futurementioning

confidence: 99%

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Evidence That Jeanne Calment Died in 1934—Not 1997

Zak¹

2019

Rejuvenation Research

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I present a body of data that, I argue, cumulatively casts serious doubt on the validity of Jeanne Calment's accepted world record of human life span. First, I assess the plausibility of the record based on the life spans of other centenarians in the International Database of Longevity (IDL) and critique some arguments put forward previously in support of that plausibility, including the longevity of Calment's ancestors. Second, I review the literature dedicated to Calment and discuss multiple contradictions in her interviews, biographies, photos, and documents. I argue that the evidence from these sources motivates renewed consideration of the previously rejected hypothesis that Jeanne's daughter Yvonne acquired her mother's identity after her death to avoid financial problems and that Jeanne Calment's death was reported as Yvonne's death in 1934. Finally I discuss the importance of reconsidering the principles of validation, due to the possibility of similar problems regarding other exceptionally long-lived people and the mistaken inferences that researchers may draw from flawed datasets. The phenomenon of Jeanne Calment may prove to be an instructive example of the uncertainty of seemingly well-established facts.

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Section: Conclusion: Lessons For the Futurementioning

confidence: 93%

Section: Conclusion: Lessons For the Futurementioning

confidence: 99%

Evidence That Jeanne Calment Died in 1934—Not 1997

Zak¹

2019

Rejuvenation Research

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“…In the Sarah Knauss case, the ages of younger siblings limit the possibility of Sarah being much younger than the ''mirrored'' age of 119 years, with age 117 years being very unlikely (the mother would have had to give birth at <10 months) but not ruled out entirely and age 118 years still being possible, but no evidence at this time has yet been produced, which contradicts age ''119'' years for the Knauss case. 34 With all the evidence so far supporting age 119 years, the Knauss case at this time remains validated as age 119 years. Still, more research may be done to check this case or any other case considered validated or unvalidated.…”

Section: Idea About Id-switching Not New: Actually Part Of the Testinmentioning

confidence: 97%

“…Later, the Carrie White claim was called into question by additional scrutiny of the case and new evidence located. 34 In hindsight, the Carrie White case situation should have drawn some red flags: one, there was no original proof of birth; the oldest document was from 1909, some 35 years after birth. Second, she had little family history; she had been turned over to a mental institution in 1909, suffering from a medical condition then described as ''posttyphoid psychosis.''…”

Section: Biosampling At 122: the Jeanne Calment Case 53mentioning

confidence: 99%

If Jeanne Calment Were 122, That Is All the More Reason for Biosampling

Young¹

2020

Rejuvenation Research

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This article discusses the need for biosampling as a way to test ''super-duper'' centenarians (persons aged >120 years) to identify biological pathways for Homo sapiens to live to their fullest biological lifespan potential (estimated by extreme value theory to be currently between 123 years and 128 years) and, by extension, the possibility of biosampling leading to the identification through scientific research testing and data analysis areas of potential life extension. Studies of twins have shown that the proportion of longevity attributed to heredity (genetic potential) versus environment increases substantially the higher the age group being tested, especially after age 75 years. Even among the oldest-old, the proportion attributed to biological factors continues increasing the higher the age category, which is a selective process as the genetically weaker of the remaining survivors continue to die off first, leaving a more and more highly selected remaining population. This self-selection process means that the very oldest individuals are already the ''genetic lottery winners'' who have the biological potential to come close to the maximum human lifespan. Testing of these persons may result in faster breakthroughs in the attempt to extend the human lifespan through biological testing and analysis. Indeed, it is possible that, just as some human lifespans are shortened due to random genetic mutations unique to the individual (such as persons with progeria), it is possible that there could be some humans whose maximum genetic potential was due in part to a genetic mutation unique to that particular individual. This remains an area of potential research that has not yet been thoroughly biotested-but one that could change soon, and biotesting a 122-year-old woman's biosamples would be a prime opportunity for such a test: Jeanne Calment. Because only one 122-year-old woman has been validated in recorded scientific history, the uniqueness of the case makes it a unique opportunity that should not be passed by. Herewith, I take a closer look at the Jeanne Calment case and the conclusion is the same as the start: Jeanne Calment was 122 years, her age is relatively unique but not impossible to repeat in the future; however, her samples may be available right now, and thus remains the only current opportunity to study a >120-year-old person from a biological perspective.

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“…The only weak area is that the earliest certainly dated document is from 1850 (listing Delina as "35"); the 1840, 1830, and 1820 censuses give an "age range", and the marriage and birth records, though placed solidly in the context of a longstanding family Bible heirloom, with older and younger relatives in proper order, does not give a date of recording. Due to these issues, the Filkins case would not attain the highest standards of age validation, an "original proof of birth only" standard that would exclude not just the Filkins case but also notable cases such as Sarah Knauss (Young 2010).…”

Section: Close Examination Of Records For Delina (Ecker) Filkinsmentioning

confidence: 99%

113 in 1928? Validation of Delina Filkins as the First “Second-Century Teenager”

Young¹

2020

Demographic Research Monographs

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Delina Filkins was born May 4, 1815 in Stark, Herkimer County, New York, a small village of less than 2000 persons in the Hudson River Valley, Upstate New York. Her father, William Ecker, and mother, Susanna Herwick, were descended from Dutch and German settlers that came to the Mohawk Valley, New York, in the 1700s. Living her entire life in the same area within a ten-mile radius, her life spanned over 113 years. With the exception of her great age and her generally good health, Delina’s life was rather ordinary: she lived most of it on the family farm, helping with family tasks such as spinning yarn and making clothes. Delina married John Filkins, a local farmer, at age 18 and they had six (possibly seven) children together, two of whom outlived her. Delina was noted for her age in very late life, with local coverage from about 1916, then reaching national attention in the 1920s. With the understanding that Delina’s age was generally considered to be reliable by the press at the time, her case is a candidate for the earliest validated person to reach age 113+. This chapter takes a closer look at the case and the documents available and concludes that the amount and consistency of the available documentation suggest that Delina Filkins did indeed reach age 113 in 1928.

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Age 115 or more in the United States: Fact or fiction?

Cited by 7 publications

References 2 publications

Evidence That Jeanne Calment Died in 1934—Not 1997

Evidence That Jeanne Calment Died in 1934—Not 1997

If Jeanne Calment Were 122, That Is All the More Reason for Biosampling

113 in 1928? Validation of Delina Filkins as the First “Second-Century Teenager”

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