2007-05-04 10:12:58 · 21 answers · asked by Octavio 1 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Zoology
Generally, the smaller an animal, the shorter the life span. This isn't always true, but it covers most animals.
2007-05-04 10:15:18 · answer #1 · answered by Blunt Honesty 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋
There is a theory that the reason why people die is because their heart stops beating, which is sometimes true.
But the reason it stops beating is because you are only born with a certain number of heartbeats, and an average human's number of heartbeats is usually between x-x {i dont know the numbers}
But the theory does make sense when you think about mice, whose hearts beat very fast, and they have a short life expectancy.
Elephant's hearts beat much slower, therefore the live much longer than mice.
2007-05-04 10:22:57 · answer #2 · answered by hsgirl 1 · 1⤊ 0⤋
One factor is heart rate. The average healthy heart can beat about 2.6 billion times before the ticker runs out. Small animals such as dogs and cats have more rapid heartbeats therefore, limiting lifespan (more beats per year = fewer years of life.)
Check out your own lifespan expectancy (link below):
And dog heart rates (below that):
and, Cat heart rate: 140-160.
2007-05-04 10:21:29 · answer #3 · answered by cs 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Parrots and Turtles live longer. I believe scientists have shown that some whales live around that long as well.
Humans havent always lived this long. The introduction of farming and food production have drastically increased the population and life-expectancy...not to mention our health systems.
2007-05-04 10:17:33 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
they have shorter life spans because their bodys are to simple and have not evolved to fit our way of living
unlike ours which is very complex
2007-05-04 10:26:51 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
could be that animals that are hunted don't live so long as the hunters and animals that are the hunters fight and kill each other to be top dog ....us humans eat veg as well as meat so have a balanced diet and of course we make medication to keep us ticking on
2007-05-04 10:19:49 · answer #6 · answered by foxy 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Thay dont thay are longer the us dog years are derfrent then us human's just seem's shorter. ask you 'r vet...
2007-05-04 10:20:59 · answer #7 · answered by iesha h 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Mostly because they are smaller and have smaller hearts and stuff, but also wild animals get more wear and tear in the frst and all that stress on their body causes them to die earlier.
2007-05-04 10:16:19 · answer #8 · answered by Maarten L 2 · 2⤊ 2⤋
Their hearts beat faster.... the slower an animal's heartbeat, the longer it lives.
2007-05-04 10:16:48 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
Not all animals, e.g. some turtles can reach ages over 400 years.
2007-05-04 10:16:55 · answer #10 · answered by WithEnlightenmentTheDarknessCame 3 · 1⤊ 1⤋