Why do some animals live longer than others?

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Why do some animals live longer than others?

In: Biology

4 Answers

Anonymous 0 Comments

Things on the end of dna called telomeres help the dna replicate properly bc DNA looses a bit of length every time it replicates (I could go into detail but will spare u). Animals that live longer have longer have longer telomere regions in their DNA —> their DNA replicates for longer periods of time renewing cells and stuff without issue —> animal lives longer

Anonymous 0 Comments

It’s based on a few different things: size, environment, temperatures, and the ways cells divide. Aging is the process of cell division slowing, so our decaying cells don’t renew as efficiently.

Some things, like flies, are made mostly of cells that don’t replicate. And then there’s the freshwater polyp hydra, whosr cells constantly regenerate, so it can live 1400 years!

Many small creatures are vulnerable to predators, so their evolution focused on reproducing quickly rather than living long (mice, rats, rabbits), or on other defensive tactics like hiding.

Cold temperatures slow heart rate and body processes, so we see longer lifespans in marine and deep sea life.

Large animals’ defense mechanism is just being large. Many large animals are highly social and evolved by positive selection of traits, preferring longevity because of the reproductive advantage and being large enough or fierce enough to select instead of breed indiscriminately.

Sources: [this 5 minute TED talk](https://ed.ted.com/lessons/why-do-animals-have-such-different-lifespans-joao-pedro-de-magalhaes#review), and various articles about elephants and large marine animals.

Anonymous 0 Comments

Usually bigger animals have longer life spans but it also depends on the environment and other factors.

Anonymous 0 Comments

Ummm, bees live a few weeks, same with ants. To them its a lifetime at their accelerated time frame.

For instance, an ant ‘walks’ an equivalent of forty miles an hour compared to us.

Ant thoughts are moving forty miles an hour too. They live an 80 year life time in a few weeks.

.o2