Lifespan by Sex — Odontoceti (Dolphins)

Among dolphins, the bottlenose dolphin is the longest-lived, with females reaching up to 67 years — one of the highest longevities recorded for dolphins. Fraser’s dolphin has the shortest lifespan (19 years in both sexes). Unlike the pattern seen in whales, most dolphins show less longevity asymmetry between sexes, with the bottlenose dolphin being the most notable exception (♀ 67 vs ♂ 52 years).

Chart Data Table

Species	Female (years)	Male (years)
Atlantic spotted dolphin	50	50
Bottlenose dolphin	67	52
Common dolphin	30	30
Fraser’s dolphin	19	19
Risso’s dolphin	50	50
Rough-toothed dolphin	36	32
Striped dolphin	57.5	57.5

References (with hyperlinked sources)

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Fahlman, A. et al. (2023). Deep diving by offshore bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops spp.). Marine Mammal Science. https://doi.org/10.1111/mms.13045
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Perrin, W. F. (2018). Common Dolphin: Delphinus delphis. In Encyclopedia of Marine Mammals (pp. 205–209). Academic Press. (no public DOI/URL found)
Hartman, K. L. (2018). Risso’s dolphin, Grampus griseus. In Encyclopedia of Marine Mammals (3rd ed., pp. 824–827). Elsevier. (no public DOI/URL found)
Hans, K. (2011). “Grampus griseus” — Animal Diversity Web
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Weinstein, B. (1999). “Lagenodelphis hosei” — Animal Diversity Web
Kerem, D. (2022). Rough-toothed dolphin Steno bredanensis. In Handbook of the Mammals of Europe. Springer International Publishing. (no public DOI/URL found)
Greenwood, J. (2011). “Steno bredanensis” — Animal Diversity Web
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Roca-Monge, K. et al. (2022). Age and Sexual Maturity Estimation of Stranded Striped Dolphins, Stenella coeruleoalba. Oceans, 3, 494–508. https://doi.org/10.3390/oceans3040033
MBM (2021). Fichas de identificação de cetáceos no Arquipélago da Madeira. 66p. (no public URL — recurring, per tracker)
Freitas, L., Dinis, A., Alves, F., Nóbrega, F. (2004). Cetáceos No Arquipélago Da Madeira. Museu da Baleia, Funchal. (no public URL — recurring, per tracker)