In another way, ageing starts when the likelihood of death increases. Actuarial tables show the likelihood of death at each stage of life. These tables are used by insurance companies to assess the rates of insurance on life policies and pensions. It turns out that we are least likely to die when we are young adults. For girls this is as early as 14. The reason suggested by biologists (such as Peter Medawar and George C. Williams) is that this is the time most significant for reproduction, or was in mankind's past. The assumption is that the peak age of reproduction in mankind's history was lower than today. A gene can be expressed at various stages of life. Any allele of a gene which interfered with reproduction would have less chance of passing on to the next generation. The number of such genes in the population would automatically be reduced. Thus natural selection would virtually eliminate any inherited effect which reduced fertility.