Does This Animal Live Unusually Long? [Slide Show]
An index called the longevity quotient indicates whether a species has an average life span or is unusually long-lived or short-lived for an animal of its size. A score of 1 is average; higher numbers reflect unusual longevity
Does This Animal Live Unusually Long? [Slide Show]
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1 The white-eared opossum has a longevity quotient of 0.3, making it unusually short-lived for its size. AbinoamJr/Wikimedia Commons
2 The Asian house shrew has a 0.4 longevity quotient, and like the white-eared opossum, has and unusually short life span relative to other mammals of its size. W. A. Djatmiko (Wie146)/Wikimedia Commons
4 The typical laboratory mouse, also known as the house mouse, has a short lifetime, reflected in its longevity quotient of 0.5. Rama//Wikimedia Commons
5 The giraffe may look odd but its life span is typical for a mammal its size; it has a 1.0 longevity quotient. http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Biopics">Hans Hillewaert/Wikimedia Commons
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6 Like giraffes, the African lion lives about as long as would be expected for its size. Its longevity quotient is 1.1. Relic38/Wikimedia Commons
7 The vampire bat, with a longevity quotient of 3.5, also lives an unusually long time. WikedKentaur/Wikimedia Commons
7 The southern flying squirrel has a 2.7 longevity quotient, which means it is unusually long-lived. KenThomas.us/Wikimedia Commons
8 We humans have a longevity quotient of 5.0, a sign that we generally live longer than would be expected for our size. Jeanne Calment (pictured) died at age 122, having outlived anyone else whose age at death has been well documented... Wikimedia Commons
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9 The naked mole-rat's longevity quotient is 5.3; it is a very long-lived small mammal. Ltshears—Trisha M Shears/Wikimedia Commons
10 The life span of Brandt's bat is exceptional; it has a longevity quotient of 9.8. ShvedAn/Wikimedia Commons
Steven Austad, of the Barshop Institute for Longevity and Aging Studies, at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, has applied the longevity quotient—which he developed—to many species, including those depicted here. The quotient is determined by dividing the greatest recorded longevity for a species by the life span that would be expected based on the species's average weight. Except for humans and Brandt's bat, the scores refer to animals in captivity.
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