Background Extinction Rate - Lifespan Estimates

Lifespan Estimates

Some species lifespan estimates by taxonomy

Taxonomy Source of Estimate Species Average Lifespan years (MYA)
All Invertebrates Raup (1978) 11
Marine Invertebrates Valentine (1970) 5–10
Marine Animals Raup (1991) 4
Marine Animals Sepkoski (1992) 5
All Fossil Groups Simpson (1952) .5–5
Mammals Martin (1993) 1
Cenozoic Mammals Raup and Stanley (1978) 1–2
Diatoms Van Valen 8
Dinoflagelates Van Valen (1973) 13
Planktonic Foraminifera Van Valen (1973) 7
Cenozoic Bivalves Raup and Stanley (1978) 10
Echinoderms Durham (1970) 6
Silurian Graptolites Rickards (1977) 2

Adapted from the book “extinction rates”, edited by Lawton, J, and May, R.

Read more about this topic:  Background Extinction Rate

Famous quotes containing the word estimates:

    A State, in idea, is the opposite of a Church. A State regards classes, and not individuals; and it estimates classes, not by internal merit, but external accidents, as property, birth, etc. But a church does the reverse of this, and disregards all external accidents, and looks at men as individual persons, allowing no gradations of ranks, but such as greater or less wisdom, learning, and holiness ought to confer. A Church is, therefore, in idea, the only pure democracy.
    Samuel Taylor Coleridge (1772–1834)