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You’d need to know the probability of death as a function of chronological age. If the probability is constant, you can model the lifespan as an exponential de
by mr_toad 6y ago
You’d need to know the probability of death as a function of chronological age.
If the probability is constant, you can model the lifespan as an exponential decay - there is no real upper limit, but the population of older individuals is very small.
For most animals the probability increases as they age, and becomes very high towards the end of their life, but this is not the case for all animals.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Negligible_senescence https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Negligible_senescence
- dalbasal 6y agoThanks for the breakdown. "(probability) becomes very high towards the end of their life." This is, ultimately, what we want to know. At what age do they start to die of old age? Oldest living vertebrate is interesting, but I think it's mostly interesting because of what it says about the species? Is it possible that a large vertebrate doesn't have an old age point, where probability of death is very high?