A Multiparametric Equation for Calculation of the Animal Lifespan

Abstract

Abstract—We propose a multiparametric equation for calculation of the average natural lifespan of various vertebrate species, including well-known mammalian “outliers,” such as the naked mole rat and bat. This equation includes body and brain weights; durations of puberty, sleep, and hibernation; daily food intake; oxygen consumption; and body temperature. We infer that aging is the result of protein and DNA damage that accumulate during animal life cycles rather than a genetic program that underlies phenoptosis.