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Methuselah's Zoo: What Nature Can Teach Us about Living Longer, Healthier Lives
Stories of long-lived animal species—from thousand-year-old tubeworms to 400-year-old sharks—and what they might teach us about human health and longevity.
Opossums in the wild don’t make it to the age of three; our pet cats can live for a decade and a half; cicadas live for seventeen years (spending most of them underground). Whales, however, can live for two centuries and tubeworms for several millennia. Meanwhile, human life expectancy tops out around the mid-eighties, with some outliers living past 100 or even 110. Is there anything humans can learn from the exceptional longevity of some animals in the wild? In Methusaleh’s Zoo , Steven Austad tells the stories of some extraordinary animals, considering why, for example, animal species that fly live longer than earthbound species and why animals found in the ocean live longest of all.
Austad—the leading authority on longevity in animals—argues that the best way we will learn from these long-lived animals is by studying them in the wild. Accordingly, he proceeds habitat by habitat, examining animals that spend most of their lives in the air, comparing insects, birds, and bats; animals that live on, and under, the ground—from mole rats to elephants; and animals that live in the sea, including quahogs, carp, and dolphins.
Humans have dramatically increased their lifespan with only a limited increase in healthspan; we’re more and more prone to diseases as we grow older. By contrast, these species have successfully avoided both environmental hazards and the depredations of aging. Can we be more like them?
Opossums in the wild don’t make it to the age of three; our pet cats can live for a decade and a half; cicadas live for seventeen years (spending most of them underground). Whales, however, can live for two centuries and tubeworms for several millennia. Meanwhile, human life expectancy tops out around the mid-eighties, with some outliers living past 100 or even 110. Is there anything humans can learn from the exceptional longevity of some animals in the wild? In Methusaleh’s Zoo , Steven Austad tells the stories of some extraordinary animals, considering why, for example, animal species that fly live longer than earthbound species and why animals found in the ocean live longest of all.
Austad—the leading authority on longevity in animals—argues that the best way we will learn from these long-lived animals is by studying them in the wild. Accordingly, he proceeds habitat by habitat, examining animals that spend most of their lives in the air, comparing insects, birds, and bats; animals that live on, and under, the ground—from mole rats to elephants; and animals that live in the sea, including quahogs, carp, and dolphins.
Humans have dramatically increased their lifespan with only a limited increase in healthspan; we’re more and more prone to diseases as we grow older. By contrast, these species have successfully avoided both environmental hazards and the depredations of aging. Can we be more like them?
320 pages, Hardcover
Published August 16, 2022
36 people are currently reading
2171 people want to read
About the author
Steven N. Austad
1 book19 followersSteven N. Austad holds the Protective Life Endowed Chair in Healthy Aging Research at the University of Alabama at Birmingham and is Senior Scientific Director of the New York-based American Federation for Aging Research. He is an elected fellow of the Gerontological Society of America and the American Association for the Advancement of Science.
Dr. Austad maintains a keen interest in communicating science to the lay public. In that capacity has served on the Science Advisory Board of National Public Radio and has written more than 200 popular science articles and essays for print and electronic media, and published 7 books. In his earlier life, Dr. Austad, with a degree in English literature, trained lions for the Hollywood movie industry, was a newspaper reporter, drove a taxi cab in New York City, and hustled pool nation-wide. With a PhD in evolutionary ecology, he has done field research in multiple parts of the United States, Venezuela, England, Kenya, Micronesia, and Papua New Guinea, experiences he brings to his writing.
Dr. Austad maintains a keen interest in communicating science to the lay public. In that capacity has served on the Science Advisory Board of National Public Radio and has written more than 200 popular science articles and essays for print and electronic media, and published 7 books. In his earlier life, Dr. Austad, with a degree in English literature, trained lions for the Hollywood movie industry, was a newspaper reporter, drove a taxi cab in New York City, and hustled pool nation-wide. With a PhD in evolutionary ecology, he has done field research in multiple parts of the United States, Venezuela, England, Kenya, Micronesia, and Papua New Guinea, experiences he brings to his writing.
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
March 16, 2025
3.5 stars rounded up. Steven Austad is a professor of biology at the University of Alabama at Birmingham whose long scientific career has focused on studying aging in animals. In his 2022 nonfiction book Methuselah's Zoo (the referenced Methuselah being a religious figure who mythically and statistically impossibly lived to the ripe old age of 969), Austad takes us on a long survey of the animal kingdom and highlights animals whose lifespans, either in the wild or in captivity, exceed what would biologically be expected given their size and physiology. I enjoyed this section of the book (though at times it felt quite long and drawn out). I think Austad was convincing in his arguments that there are certainly biological lessons to be gleaned from these non-humans' remarkable longevity that we can apply toward treating human diseases and aging.
At the end of the book, Austad discusses human aging and how he believes that the human who will live to be 150 years old has already been born (in fact, he's famously bet money with a colleague on this outcome). This part for me veered too close to indulging the longevity movement and folks like "the man who wants to live forever" Bryan Johnson who take this concept to extremes at the expense of enjoying their lives in the present.
Further reading: longevity and aging (from a human perspective)
Natural Causes: An Epidemic of Wellness, the Certainty of Dying, and Killing Ourselves to Live Longer by Barbara Ehrenreich
A Short Guide to a Long Life by David Agus
My statistics:
Book 81 for 2025
Book 2007 cumulatively
At the end of the book, Austad discusses human aging and how he believes that the human who will live to be 150 years old has already been born (in fact, he's famously bet money with a colleague on this outcome). This part for me veered too close to indulging the longevity movement and folks like "the man who wants to live forever" Bryan Johnson who take this concept to extremes at the expense of enjoying their lives in the present.
Further reading: longevity and aging (from a human perspective)
Natural Causes: An Epidemic of Wellness, the Certainty of Dying, and Killing Ourselves to Live Longer by Barbara Ehrenreich
A Short Guide to a Long Life by David Agus
My statistics:
Book 81 for 2025
Book 2007 cumulatively
August 11, 2022
In Methuselah's Zoo author Steven N. Austad explores the engrossing topic of aging and longevity in creatures in the wild with some comparisons to captivity. He writes insightfully with wit and uses many examples of animals studied in the wild, often over the span of many decades. He addresses the question of the aging rate and how we know the age of animals older than the researchers such as the fulmar bird's youthfulness at the age of 70 (producing chicks!) or that of the albatross much older. Ocean creatures generally live the longest. Austad draws on his own observations and those from previous years (sometimes centuries), discusses carbon dating and counting rings.
The aging process is fascinating and human beings are just one segment of creatures studied. The world is huge and the more we know the more we have left to learn. The author agrees that some is conjecture such as dinosaurs. Some animals (including birds, land dwellers, ocean dwellers) age quickly, others slowly. Austad addresses the longevity quotient (LQ) and deduces the rate of maturing is a rough guide to longevity. I was interested to read that most birds in the wild are fit until death and that nearly all birds and animals studied have the potential to get cancer.
Other things I learned more about are DNA growth (2 miles per second in humans) and links and that the weight of all flies on the globe surpasses that of all humans! Genome sequencing is important. Endothermy and environmental factors are keys as is reaching maturity (the oldest-recorded cockatoo lived to approximately 142 years). Vampire bats have a special way of feeding if unable to on their own at least every 72 hours. Their babies are 25% of the mother's weight at birth, the largest ratio of any mammal. Though scary, the author's personal hibernating grizzly anecdote was told in a humorous way. Olms in the Balkans live in caves their entire lives and can survive by eating just once a year if necessary. I have seen these unique creatures in Croatia and Slovenia and find them absolutely fascinating! I learned about the term musth, comparative nutritional slim pickings in the middle of oceans, sclerochronology, importance of otoliths, baleen whales, lives of ancient tubeworms, longevity of bivalves including geoducks and the most interesting to me the clever use of sponges by dolphins.
Curious readers who enjoy learning new ideas and perspectives about nature and what we can learn from it ought to read Methuselah's Zoo. I feel smarter!
My sincere thank you to MIT Press and NetGalley for the privilege of learning more about aging and longevity in wondrous nature through this book!
The aging process is fascinating and human beings are just one segment of creatures studied. The world is huge and the more we know the more we have left to learn. The author agrees that some is conjecture such as dinosaurs. Some animals (including birds, land dwellers, ocean dwellers) age quickly, others slowly. Austad addresses the longevity quotient (LQ) and deduces the rate of maturing is a rough guide to longevity. I was interested to read that most birds in the wild are fit until death and that nearly all birds and animals studied have the potential to get cancer.
Other things I learned more about are DNA growth (2 miles per second in humans) and links and that the weight of all flies on the globe surpasses that of all humans! Genome sequencing is important. Endothermy and environmental factors are keys as is reaching maturity (the oldest-recorded cockatoo lived to approximately 142 years). Vampire bats have a special way of feeding if unable to on their own at least every 72 hours. Their babies are 25% of the mother's weight at birth, the largest ratio of any mammal. Though scary, the author's personal hibernating grizzly anecdote was told in a humorous way. Olms in the Balkans live in caves their entire lives and can survive by eating just once a year if necessary. I have seen these unique creatures in Croatia and Slovenia and find them absolutely fascinating! I learned about the term musth, comparative nutritional slim pickings in the middle of oceans, sclerochronology, importance of otoliths, baleen whales, lives of ancient tubeworms, longevity of bivalves including geoducks and the most interesting to me the clever use of sponges by dolphins.
Curious readers who enjoy learning new ideas and perspectives about nature and what we can learn from it ought to read Methuselah's Zoo. I feel smarter!
My sincere thank you to MIT Press and NetGalley for the privilege of learning more about aging and longevity in wondrous nature through this book!
August 15, 2022
This book offers a fascinating look at which animals are long-lived, and – to the extent that it’s known – why. It’s not so much, as the subtitle suggests, a book about how humans can live longer by applying understanding of other creatures of longevity. The advice for living longer would include tips such as: be a relatively large species, be a species that flies [of its own devices,] be ectothermic, be a cold-water aquatic creature, mature slowly, live underground, etc. This kind of knowledge, while interesting, isn’t really applicable to humans. Other takeaways are relevant to humanity, but still don’t change the calculus– e.g. have a relatively big brain. So, if one’s entire interest in this book is based on learning about how humans can live longer by applying ideas from other species, there is little to be gleaned, e.g. a brief discussion of antioxidants, free radicals, and metabolism. That said, it’s an excellent overview of long-lived animals and the evidence for why said creatures (including humans) live so long.
The book is divided into four parts, animals of the air, land, sea, and humans – respectively.
If you’re interested in nature and biology, I’d highly recommend this book. I learned a tremendous amount and the discussions of bats and Greenland Sharks were among the most illuminating -- not to mention learning about creatures like clams and ant queens that I had no idea could live so long. Again, my only proviso would be that if you are interested in a book about what humans can do to live longer, there won’t be a great deal of information available [though, as mentioned, the last section does talk about longevity in humans, specifically, but not so much in a blue zone (this is what you should do) kind of way.] It’s more an argument for why more research is needed into animal longevity than it is a book about how to exploit the knowledge that already exists.
The book is divided into four parts, animals of the air, land, sea, and humans – respectively.
If you’re interested in nature and biology, I’d highly recommend this book. I learned a tremendous amount and the discussions of bats and Greenland Sharks were among the most illuminating -- not to mention learning about creatures like clams and ant queens that I had no idea could live so long. Again, my only proviso would be that if you are interested in a book about what humans can do to live longer, there won’t be a great deal of information available [though, as mentioned, the last section does talk about longevity in humans, specifically, but not so much in a blue zone (this is what you should do) kind of way.] It’s more an argument for why more research is needed into animal longevity than it is a book about how to exploit the knowledge that already exists.
February 1, 2024
Informative and enjoyable, despite me already being somewhat familiar with the subject matter.
Probably closer to a 4.5 than 5.0 for two main reasons.
First, the book needs better copy editing. There were frequent enough extra words, missing words, and so forth that broke my reading rhythm.
Second, a bigger issue, is that there should be a chapter consolidating what we’ve learned across species! Austad mentions some common themes sometimes but he should really have pulled together a comprehensive chapter to talk about things like:
- Metabolism
- Temperature
- Age of reproduction
- Cancer defence
- Protein folding defence
- Protectedness (turtles, living underground, etc.)
I’m left with questions. Like, why does being protected from injury confer longevity benefit? I remember hearing one theory about how animals more prone to injury need to be programmed to die earlier because evolution found that favorable to increase the likelihood of overall reproduction. Kill off non-reproducing, injured animals so reproducing ones can pass on their genes.
Austad should go deeper into exploring and explaining some of the findings related to longevity like protectedness that seem consistent across species.
Probably closer to a 4.5 than 5.0 for two main reasons.
First, the book needs better copy editing. There were frequent enough extra words, missing words, and so forth that broke my reading rhythm.
Second, a bigger issue, is that there should be a chapter consolidating what we’ve learned across species! Austad mentions some common themes sometimes but he should really have pulled together a comprehensive chapter to talk about things like:
- Metabolism
- Temperature
- Age of reproduction
- Cancer defence
- Protein folding defence
- Protectedness (turtles, living underground, etc.)
I’m left with questions. Like, why does being protected from injury confer longevity benefit? I remember hearing one theory about how animals more prone to injury need to be programmed to die earlier because evolution found that favorable to increase the likelihood of overall reproduction. Kill off non-reproducing, injured animals so reproducing ones can pass on their genes.
Austad should go deeper into exploring and explaining some of the findings related to longevity like protectedness that seem consistent across species.
August 22, 2022
This was a brilliant read. I loved it that much that I needed to read it all in one sitting. It was so packed full of fascinating information that I learnt so much from reading it. I was totally engrossed in the book from the start. As the author wrote the book so well it flowed brilliantly and was easy to understand and take in. It had a real whit about it aswell which made it even more enjoyable. I have to say my favourite bit was where the author explains estimated ages of animals. There zoos and private collectors say they own the oldest animal. I was laughing when the author explained that the claim from the oldest elephant changed from African to an Asian elephant. There was also lots of science which I love and the author did an excellent job explaining it all. So we can all understand. If you love learning amazing animal facts then this book is for you. I can't recommend this book enough. I'm not entirely sure what I have taken away from the book about humans living longer but I loved this book all the same. It kept me happy and entertained for hours. With me saying wow or no way out loud throughout.
Only the highest of praise goes out to the author and publishers for creating such a fascinating book about the longevity of animals lives.
Only the highest of praise goes out to the author and publishers for creating such a fascinating book about the longevity of animals lives.
June 14, 2023
This was not the kind of book I expected it to be. Over the past couple of years, I have been repeating this statement often. Although it is the only way I can begin to talk about my feelings for such books.
There is a measurement factor introduced by the author early on in the book, one that he uses throughout the rest of the chapters to define the differences in the average longevity of a particular species or subspecies.
It is more of a textbook containing that information. As the blurb indicates, the author moves from habitat to habitat focusing on species of different sizes and habits. It is highly informative, but ultimately the information is reduced to the previously mentioned value.
There is a difference between certain animals in captivity versus in the wild, and sometimes there is not much of one. He does not venture too far into talking about how exactly this information is to be used from the human angle, with some exceptions.
I have read a couple of other books that talk about similar information and it is probably the only reason I was not as awed by the content as I could have been.
For someone who has not explored the concept of longevity in species and the genetic implications of their respective lifespans, this is a good solid place to begin.
It is not a single sitting read, but being divided into appropriate sub-chapters, it is not difficult to pick up where one has previously left off.
I received an ARC thanks to NetGalley and the publishers but the review is entirely based on my own reading experience.
There is a measurement factor introduced by the author early on in the book, one that he uses throughout the rest of the chapters to define the differences in the average longevity of a particular species or subspecies.
It is more of a textbook containing that information. As the blurb indicates, the author moves from habitat to habitat focusing on species of different sizes and habits. It is highly informative, but ultimately the information is reduced to the previously mentioned value.
There is a difference between certain animals in captivity versus in the wild, and sometimes there is not much of one. He does not venture too far into talking about how exactly this information is to be used from the human angle, with some exceptions.
I have read a couple of other books that talk about similar information and it is probably the only reason I was not as awed by the content as I could have been.
For someone who has not explored the concept of longevity in species and the genetic implications of their respective lifespans, this is a good solid place to begin.
It is not a single sitting read, but being divided into appropriate sub-chapters, it is not difficult to pick up where one has previously left off.
I received an ARC thanks to NetGalley and the publishers but the review is entirely based on my own reading experience.
July 5, 2022
Common knowledge says that elephants live a long life but, did you know that bats live comparatively longer? This book takes a look at longevity in every animal, not only mammals, but also birds, fish, reptiles, invertebrates and even dinosaurs! Much of the information here was truly unexpected. The author has devoted his life to studying aging in animals, as well as how to apply what we find in other creatures to “the naked monkey” (aka: us). There is a lot of science here, so it’s not a fast read, but all the information about animal behavior is fascinating. The author is very frank about how much of what he does is based on speculation, since it’s so hard to know for sure the age of animals in the wild (imagine checking thousands of bats), but it’s clear that he’s done his research. He also has a great sense of humor, and I was chuckling at the way he explains some concepts. This is an interesting look at a field that has not been explored too often in books for laypeople.
I chose to read this book and all opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased. Thank you, #NetGalley/#MIT Press!
I chose to read this book and all opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased. Thank you, #NetGalley/#MIT Press!
January 5, 2024
Methuselah's Zoo steps through a variety of environments and tells the stories of long lived animals and what we can learn from them about our own aging process. Why do cats live 15 years, but whales can live for 200? Is it possible to extend the human lifespan longer than it currently is? Should we even bother? What if we could slow the effects of aging?
While the applications are directed at researchers, the writing is engaging and accessible to lay readers. This book was packed full of interesting anecdotes and fascinating information about a variety of animals and their aging processes.
While the applications are directed at researchers, the writing is engaging and accessible to lay readers. This book was packed full of interesting anecdotes and fascinating information about a variety of animals and their aging processes.
January 5, 2025
Interesting topic, longevity, but the book was only meh. It felt more like a 'let me talk about 15 different animals and why/why not they live as long as humans with no real human application or lesson to learn. The last chapter basically ended it with 'well I guess evolution is more powerful than science let's just kick back and wait' which is fine, but why did I read 320 pages just for that to be the lesson from the book?
August 2, 2023
I read this book in pieces unlike the fiction books I generally read. Although this was a fascinating read, it doesn't keep my attention quite like a real "story." I am glad I read this as I learned a lot and enjoyed my time. Who knew that a clam has lived over 500 years?!
December 9, 2024
Not much to review really, since it does exactly what it claims to do without tangents or diversions except ethology of the animals concerned, which is interesting and relevant. How does it do it? It's entertaining, informative, witty and accessible, the best kind of non-fiction writing.
June 23, 2025
"Methuselah's Zoo" by Steven N. Austad was not only an informative read, but an unexpectedly fun one!
I can definitely recommend this book not only to people interested in human aging, but to anyone who is passionate about animal biology!
I can definitely recommend this book not only to people interested in human aging, but to anyone who is passionate about animal biology!
June 19, 2022
An educational intriguing read, although the format of the unpublished text was a bit hard to follow at times.
August 16, 2022
This book contains a lot of interesting anecdotes about animals that live longer-than-usual lives. I didn't feel like I learned anything about how this this information can be used to extend human lifespans. Still, if you like discovering unusual facts about animals, you'll enjoy this book.
Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.
Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.
October 6, 2024
Did a good job of explaining how none of nature makes any sense. Talks a lot about cancer which is kind of a bummer topic but the pictures were nice.
February 19, 2023
3/5 stars
This is a science nonfiction book about longevity in animals as a means of looking at reasons humans age (and possible paths to stopping that (if you're not familiar: aging in the sense of the body falling apart is now considered a treatable disease (well they're looking for treatments) rather than an inevitability)). The writing is perfectly fine and is (br)e(ez)asy - OMG that word combo so didn't work in print - to read. It's filled with animal factoids but really the focus is on how evolution prevented diseases like cancer in animals that live longer than we do for their size. That last bit is kind of the asterisk of the entire book as studying aging also means comparing various species with different lifespans which may be shorter than ours in absolute years but longer given their metabolisms. Basically, aging in us is the (among other things) failure of DNA to repair itself due to the nonstop free radical attack that comes from heating our own bodies, i.e. high metabolism in general causes body breakdown. As this book points out over and over, current science studies the worst agers of all - mice - rather than, say, bats, birds, or naked mole rats which are incredible agers in that they have metabolisms that are as high or higher than ours yet somehow manage to stave off all of our major killers primarily because their DNA doesn’t, well, go bad like ours does. They don't live forever obviously but they're healthy up until the day they keel over. So in many ways this book (and a lot of aging research as well) is more about maintaining healthspan than lifespan though obviously studying one is de facto studying the other at least for now. I liked the book but in a way its central plea - study animals that are more like us, scientists, and quit it with mice since they're so metabolically different - takes away from it because you know there will be no great reveals at the end of whatever animal chapter you're on because no aging studies have been done on those animals. Also, after a while, it just becomes a litany of longish lived animals with known details about them and with lots of question marks around pegging and tracking age in wild animals and it kind of blends into a sameness. None of that is a reason not to read this book; I mean it's interesting if you're into this kind of thing. But in end it's more a survey of known data which is being used to nudge the needle a particular direction to study evolution's solutions to our problems in animals that labs aren't really setup to study (though some have moved in that direction) and while I didn't mind that as a repeated beat, it also makes the book a bit flaccid. Enjoyable and (br)e(ez)asy to read, though, or at least (br)e(ez)asier to read than that word combo.
For more book, TV, and movie reviews, subscribe to my Substack The Media Report and follow me on Twitter and Instagram!
This is a science nonfiction book about longevity in animals as a means of looking at reasons humans age (and possible paths to stopping that (if you're not familiar: aging in the sense of the body falling apart is now considered a treatable disease (well they're looking for treatments) rather than an inevitability)). The writing is perfectly fine and is (br)e(ez)asy - OMG that word combo so didn't work in print - to read. It's filled with animal factoids but really the focus is on how evolution prevented diseases like cancer in animals that live longer than we do for their size. That last bit is kind of the asterisk of the entire book as studying aging also means comparing various species with different lifespans which may be shorter than ours in absolute years but longer given their metabolisms. Basically, aging in us is the (among other things) failure of DNA to repair itself due to the nonstop free radical attack that comes from heating our own bodies, i.e. high metabolism in general causes body breakdown. As this book points out over and over, current science studies the worst agers of all - mice - rather than, say, bats, birds, or naked mole rats which are incredible agers in that they have metabolisms that are as high or higher than ours yet somehow manage to stave off all of our major killers primarily because their DNA doesn’t, well, go bad like ours does. They don't live forever obviously but they're healthy up until the day they keel over. So in many ways this book (and a lot of aging research as well) is more about maintaining healthspan than lifespan though obviously studying one is de facto studying the other at least for now. I liked the book but in a way its central plea - study animals that are more like us, scientists, and quit it with mice since they're so metabolically different - takes away from it because you know there will be no great reveals at the end of whatever animal chapter you're on because no aging studies have been done on those animals. Also, after a while, it just becomes a litany of longish lived animals with known details about them and with lots of question marks around pegging and tracking age in wild animals and it kind of blends into a sameness. None of that is a reason not to read this book; I mean it's interesting if you're into this kind of thing. But in end it's more a survey of known data which is being used to nudge the needle a particular direction to study evolution's solutions to our problems in animals that labs aren't really setup to study (though some have moved in that direction) and while I didn't mind that as a repeated beat, it also makes the book a bit flaccid. Enjoyable and (br)e(ez)asy to read, though, or at least (br)e(ez)asier to read than that word combo.
For more book, TV, and movie reviews, subscribe to my Substack The Media Report and follow me on Twitter and Instagram!
March 19, 2023
Never having explored this topic before, I found it fascinating. Well-written and authoritative.
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews