A team of scientists has shown that the extraordinary **longevity** of some **whale species** is practically the norm, not an exception.
This finding is based on the analysis of populations of two **baleen whale species**, highlighting that whales that are not **exposed to hunting and other human impacts** can live almost three times longer than those living in oceans with intense **human activity**. The results of this study have been published in the journal Science.
Whales Longevity
The **Greenland whale** holds the record for longevity among mammals, having lived **up to 211 years**.
The study found that the average lifespan of the **southern right whale** of the South Atlantic (Eubalaena australis) is 74 years, while that of the **North Atlantic right whale** (Eubalaena glacialis) is 22 years.
More than 10% of **southern right whales** exceed 130 years, compared to more than 10% of the northern right whales that live over 47 years.
Impact of Hunting and Other Factors
The significant differences in the longevity of the two species cannot be explained by **biological differences** but by **ecological and anthropogenic factors**.
Whale hunting, which ended about 60 years ago for most species, significantly affected the lifespan of these mammals. Whales that have survived over 100 years would have had to endure at least four decades of **intense hunting**.
Whales Feeding
**Balaenidae family** whales, like the southern right and Greenland whales, can live long due to their access to large amounts of food thanks to their baleen, which limits **starvation deaths**, and their size, which limits the **number of predators**.
Without these causes of mortality, cancer and other degenerative diseases are the main causes of death, but **evolution** has gradually increased the capacity of these animals to delay these diseases.
Conservation Status
**Southern right whales are recovering** after hunting reduced their global population to 1%. Although the recovery has slowed down, overall they are doing well. In contrast, the **North Atlantic right whales** are one of the **most endangered species in the world**, with a population of only a few hundred individuals and declining.
Studies on whale longevity provide **valuable information on human aging**, including DNA repair and cellular mechanisms that control cancer.
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