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April 26, 2013

Strange But True!

Q. As life spans go, how does yours stack up? How bout the rest of your household? We're not talking averages here but best-case scenarios.

A. The human longevity record is 122 years, with an estimated 4.5 billion heartbeats (calculated using average beats per minute), says Fred Guterl in Scientific American magazine. Your dog, on the other hand, can hold out hope for 26 years, your cat more like 38 years. If you happen to own an African gray parrot, it might live some 49 years. To top these, head for the local zoo, where the Asian elephant may enjoy 65 years, the Galapagos tortoise 176 years, and the rougheye rockfish 205 years. Finally, the plant kingdom boasts the bristlecone pine, said to survive an incredible 4,713 years!


 
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