The Life Expectancy of Humans and 49 Other Animals Ranked

For most of the history of our species, the average life expectancy at birth for Homo sapiens was nearly 30 years. But gratitude to modern breakthroughs in technology and science, humans are today born with an average life expectancy closer to 80 years.

Some might claim this is one of humankind's most outstanding achievements. How do Homo sapiens lifespans now rank corresponded to other animals with this rise in life expectancy?

This infographic from Alan's Factory Outlet shows the life expectancy of 50 diverse animals varying from amphibians to apes and even includes one immortal species according to modern scientific knowledge.

Let's take a closer glance at the lifespans of the longest-living animals.

The Deep-Sea Tube Worm

The deep-sea tube worm, also known as Riftia pachyptila, lives until almost 250 years old, though this can extend much further in some circumstances.

Interestingly, they have no digestive system and thus don't ingest food to survive in an ordinary sense. Instead, the bacteria dwelling inside their bodies helps to transform the sulfur from nearby hydrothermal vent holes into energy.

This causes the deep-sea tubeworm, one of the rare animals on our planet that doesn't directly or indirectly derive its nutrients from sunlight.

The Immortal Jellyfish

The undying jellyfish, known as Turritopsis dohrnii, is biologically immortal.

Essentially, these animals regress and transition rearward from sexual maturity towards sexual immaturity in a procedure called transdifferentiation - where adult cells are converted into other types of tissue. 

Giant Barrel Sponge

The giant barrel sponge can live for 2.3 thousand years. These incredible animals inhabit the reef surface of the ocean and are bowl-shaped, which supplies habitat for numerous other invertebrates, including fish, shrimps, and crabs. Moreover, sponges have no tissue, and each cell can do the same job as any other cell.

Human Lifespans: A Rising Trend To Watch

The number of people hundred or more years old stands at 570 thousand nowadays.

Here are the nations most commonly compared to their respective populations in percent of the population.

1. Japan: 0.062%
2. Uruguay: 0.061%
3. Hong Kong: 0.047%
4. Puerto Rico: 0.045%
5. France: 0.030%
6. Spain: 0.028%
7. Italy: 0.028%
8. Cuba: 0.027%

While numbers in the 0.01 of a percent range may sound underwhelming, this is still a 1,500 percent hop from the 33 thousand centenarians that lived in the 1950s.

Gradually but surely, as Homo sapiens' life expectancy increases, our species seems fated to climb up the age ladder.