I'm working on a theory about the lifespan of a fictional mammalian species. due to the fact that they are around the same size as a human, they should require about the same amount of energy to maintain their body temperature and vital bodily functions. however, they mature into adults extremely quickly (around 6-8 months) which would mean they'd have shorter lifespans than a human.
Answers (1)
When indigenous Alaskan hunters killed a bowhead whale in 2007, they found lodged in it the point and fragments of an old harpoon. These were identified as “parts of an exploding lance made in New Bedford [Massachusetts, U.S.A.] in the late 1800s,” says The Boston Globe. This type of lance soon became obsolete, which led historians at the New Bedford Whaling Museum to surmise that the whale was harpooned “sometime between 1885 and 1895.” It must thus have been at least 115 years old when it died. The bowhead whale is one of the longest living mammals on earth.
When the heartbeat and breath rate of mammals of increasing size were charted against their body weight, it was found that both slow down at the same pace. Also, their life span was found to increase as size increased.
But what about humans? “Homo sapiens emerges as a very peculiar animal,” answers the “New Scientist” report. “We live about three times as long as mammals of our body size should.” In other words, we do not fit in with this nicely worked-out pattern.
What accounts for this difference? Interestingly, the Bible record shows that our first human parents, but not the animals, had before them the prospect of unending life.
They were told that death would be their lot only if they disobeyed the law of God, their Creator. (Gen. 2:9, 15-17) Like the law of gravity, if broken at a certain height it can end our life.
As you can see, some animals have the gift of longevity, which raises another question:
Is it possible, for man to gain back the privilege to live longer then the animals they were told to care for?
Genesis 1:28 "Further, God blessed them, and God said to them: “Be fruitful and become many, fill the earth and subdue it, and have in subjection the fish of the sea and the flying creatures of the heavens and every living creature that is moving on the earth.”
The Bible holds forth to humans the prospect of extended life expectancy once again, saying: “Like the days of a tree will the days of my people be.”—Isa. 65:22.
For more information on how the Bible says this can and will come about, I invite you to look jw.org for the answer.