North Atlantic right whales should live well beyond 100 years, but their average lifespan has dropped dramatically to just 22 years, according to recent research published in Science Advances. This stark decline threatens the survival of these endangered marine mammals, with only 370 individuals remaining in the wild. “North Atlantic whales have unusually short lifespans compared to other whales, but this isn’t because of intrinsic differences in biology, and they should live much longer,” says Greg Breed, a biology professor at the University of Alaska Fairbanks who led the study. The research revealed that while closely related Southern right whales … Continue reading Endangered Right Whales’ Lifespan Plummets to 22 Years