Hobbies And Interests
Humans
Jeanne Louise Calment, who died at the age of 122 years, was accepted as the oldest authenticated living person. A number of people have lived beyond 100 years and centenarians are far less rare today, but the average lifespan for people today, is somewhere between 80 and 90 years. Life expectancy in humans is a measure of the overall quality of life in a country, and people in first world countries with easy access to medical professionals tend to live longer than residents in third world countries.
Marine Mammals
Whales tend to be relatively-long lived mammals, with the bowhead being the longest living of all mammal species. The bowhead whale, also termed the Greenland right whale, is a baleen whale, which grows to a length of 66 feet. This stocky whale does not migrate and spends its entire life in Arctic waters. Research conducted by Jeffrey Bada of the Scripps Institution of Oceanography in California indicates that bowhead whales may have a lifespan that exceeds 200 years. Bada, by measuring the levels of aspartic acid in the eyes of 45 animals, found five males, whose age he estimated between 91 and 211 years old. Bada's findings are supported by the discovery of century-old harpoon heads which have also been found imbedded in the heads of bowhead whales.
Small Mammals
Tiny mammals, such as shrews, voles and mice have very fast metabolisms. The life expectancy of these little creatures is relatively short. As is the case with all wild animals, it is also unlikely that many individuals in a natural population will reach their potential maximum age. Mice may live as long as four years, but shrews tend not to live beyond two and a half years.
Mammals in General
Except in the case of humans, life expectancy is related to size in mammals. Larger mammals, such as hippopotamus and elephants, can life to 45 years and 70 years respectively. Tigers and lions tend to reach an age of between 22 and 35 years of age, respectively, while the great apes, such as gorillas and chimpanzees, can live up to 50. There are exceptions in every species of mammal, and those in zoological gardens frequently live much longer. Jenny, the well-know gorilla in the Dallas zoo, lived to the age of 55.