Why do some animals live much shorter lifespans than humans and others much longer? What determines the lifespan on an animal?
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Everyone has mentioned the facts about metabolism and body size correctly but it’s important to note that median/average lifespan does not just refer to what age an animal will die from old age.
The statitistics also include death from other factors such as disease or predators. Hence expected Lifespan is also determined by an animals ability to fend of these predators or diseases. For example humans technically are apex predators hence we have much larger lifespans compared to our cousins the chimpanzees despite being “similar”, because we have developed ways to fight off predators. Conversely cheetahs are thought to be great hunters so you’d think they would have a large life expectancy, and yet it’s no more then 15 years, possible because they have a very week immune system, making them prone to contracting diseases
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