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This article or Wikipedia does not explain how this is possible that this bird is living 3.5 times than its expected age. It's too big of a difference. And from

This article or Wikipedia does not explain how this is possible that this bird is living 3.5 times than its expected age. It's too big of a difference. And from the pictures it does not look any different from other Albatross. Do we know the max life span of this animal? Other than the band, do we keep track of dna or some other bio marker to make sure someone didn't just move band on some other Albatross?

patall 3y ago
The wikipedia article also doesn't mention that 20 year number that is most likely made up and notbased on statistic. Also keep in mind that these are wild animals, so life expectancy rules of stone age humans would be the only thing similar (i.e high child mortality, minor injuries can kill you etc.). Finally, the article also mentions that her tag has been replaced six times. So, there may be older tagged birds. But if they lose their tag once, they become young animals again. Which would skew any statistic.
- taneliv 3y ago
  > But if they lose their tag once, they become young animals again. Which would skew any statistic. How important these tags are for estimating bird life expectancy? If they are, isn't this going to cause, like, typically updating the Bayesian priors towards less longevity than they actually have? I'm not working in this field at all, so I'm guessing there are methods in use to counter this?
  - kuhewa 3y ago
    There are statistical frameworks that allow for demographic parameters to be estimated from mark recapture data, and in those frameworks you can allow for different priors on tag loss, but generally I don't think it is used for calculating maximum lifespan. Typically that is just done from direct age estimation with limited inference. In the case of Wisdom, she was banded first as a mature adult in 1956, and the age of maturation is known for the species.
uxp8u61q 3y ago
Average lifespan is a stupid statistic. If 20% of the albatros die soon after birth because they get eaten by predators or whatever, this skews the average lifespan significantly. It's also why life expectancy statistics from a few centuries ago look insane - people didn't routinely die at age 30, but child mortality was high and skewed the average.
- lupusreal 3y ago
  Each time a woman gave birth she had something like a 1-2% chance of dying. This suppressed the life expectancy of adults.

patall 3y ago

The wikipedia article also doesn't mention that 20 year number that is most likely made up and notbased on statistic. Also keep in mind that these are wild animals, so life expectancy rules of stone age humans would be the only thing similar (i.e high child mortality, minor injuries can kill you etc.). Finally, the article also mentions that her tag has been replaced six times. So, there may be older tagged birds. But if they lose their tag once, they become young animals again. Which would skew any statistic.

taneliv 3y ago
> But if they lose their tag once, they become young animals again. Which would skew any statistic. How important these tags are for estimating bird life expectancy? If they are, isn't this going to cause, like, typically updating the Bayesian priors towards less longevity than they actually have? I'm not working in this field at all, so I'm guessing there are methods in use to counter this?
- kuhewa 3y ago
  There are statistical frameworks that allow for demographic parameters to be estimated from mark recapture data, and in those frameworks you can allow for different priors on tag loss, but generally I don't think it is used for calculating maximum lifespan. Typically that is just done from direct age estimation with limited inference. In the case of Wisdom, she was banded first as a mature adult in 1956, and the age of maturation is known for the species.

uxp8u61q 3y ago

Average lifespan is a stupid statistic. If 20% of the albatros die soon after birth because they get eaten by predators or whatever, this skews the average lifespan significantly. It's also why life expectancy statistics from a few centuries ago look insane - people didn't routinely die at age 30, but child mortality was high and skewed the average.

lupusreal 3y ago
Each time a woman gave birth she had something like a 1-2% chance of dying. This suppressed the life expectancy of adults.