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Animals also vary in the degree of coupling between oxidative phosphorylation and ATP production, the amount of saturated fat in mitochondrial membranes, the amount of DNA repair, and many other factors that affect maximum life span. [9] Furthermore, a number of species with high metabolic rate, like bats and birds, are long-lived.
Only animals from the classes of the Chordata phylum are included. [1] On average, captive animals (especially mammals ) live longer than wild animals. This may be due to the fact that with proper treatment , captivity can provide refuge against diseases , competition with others of the same species and predators .
The theory was developed in the 1950s [4] and is used to answer questions about topics such as organism size, age of maturation, number of offspring, life span, and many others. [5] In order to study these topics, life history strategies must be identified, and then models are constructed to study their effects.
Study of negligibly senescent animals may provide clues that lead to better understanding of the aging process and influence theories of aging. [ 1 ] [ 3 ] The phenomenon of negligible senescence in some animals is a traditional argument for attempting to achieve similar negligible senescence in humans by technological means.
Telomerase is expressed by most vertebrates during embryonic stages but is generally absent from adult stages of life. [25] However, unlike vertebrates, lobsters express telomerase as adults through most tissue, which has been suggested to be related to their longevity. [26] [27] [28] Contrary to popular belief, lobsters are not immortal.
Small animals such as birds and squirrels rarely live to their maximum life span, usually dying of accidents, disease or predation. [citation needed] The maximum life span of most species is documented in the AnAge repository (The Animal Ageing and Longevity Database). [22]
There are numerous plants and animals for which the mortality rate has been observed to actually decrease with age, for all or part of the life cycle. [2] Hydra were observed for four years without any increase in mortality rate. [3] If the mortality rate remains constant, the rate determines the mean lifespan.
Annual plant – Plant which completes its life cycle within one growing season and then dies; Behavioral ecology – Study of the evolutionary basis for animal behavior due to ecological pressures; Ecology – Study of organisms and their environment; Life history theory – Analytical framework to study life history strategies used by organisms