[Gpdd] Health -- Longevity

[Cuttlefish Arts]

I've heard the 14 year record too, although I can't remember where. This
sounds about right. Typically, longevity records in mammals (and other
species, too, but I don't remember) are about twice the life expectancy of
the typical oldest "normal" specimen. So, if generally speaking, average
healthy guinea pigs live to be about 7, then the longevity record holder
would be about 14 yrs.

I've never gotten a gp past 6, even though we've been really conscientious
owners with excellent husbandry, and don't breed. I'm sure that inbreeding
and genetics may have a lot to do with this. I don't know about
longevity/breeds -- my oldest ones have been peruvians, but it strikes me
that a "mutt" would be genetically more likely to be hardy because of fewer
harmful recessives -- who knows?

In humans, it's about the same.  Historically, lucky, healthy humans lived
to be about 70; the longevity record is somewhere around 141. Maybe as life
expectancy increases, the record will get higher, but a "super old" specimen
only pops up every generation or so, so we haven't  had a 170 year old
person yet. Medical advances might not be able to wind up the "longevity"
clock that far.