#20: The Average Lifespan of Mammals
Things got a little ‘hairy’ after dinosaurs became extinct; unlike dinosaurs with feathers and scales, mammals have hair or fur. Have you ever wondered about the average lifespan of mammals? Mammals are warm-blooded creatures that nurse their young. Small mammals like weasels usually live one to two years, while larger mammals like elephants live around five decades.
The bowhead whale takes the cake, though. Their average lifespan is 200+ years. Human lifespans have experienced a remarkable surge over the decades. The average lifespan in 1950 was 47 years; it is now 72 years. As human longevity flourishes, it harms wildlife populations. There has been an 85 percent reduction in wild mammal lifespans.