Neural Investment as an Entropy-Budget Strategy: A Thermodynamic Derivation of Primate Longevity from the Principle of Biological Time Equivalence

TL;DR

This paper presents a thermodynamic model explaining why primates have longer lifespans than other mammals of similar size, linking neural energy use to entropy management and longevity.

Contribution

It introduces a novel thermodynamic framework based on the Principle of Biological Time Equivalence to explain primate longevity through neural energy allocation and entropy reduction.

Findings

Primates reduce entropy production per physiological cycle.

Neural energy allocation acts as a control parameter for lifespan.

The model predicts links between brain energetics, entropy, and longevity.

Abstract

Primates exhibit a robust deviation from canonical allometric scaling: at fixed body mass, their lifespans exceed those of non-primate mammals by factors of two to three. A rhesus macaque (8 kg) lives 25-40 years, whereas a cat of similar mass rarely exceeds 18 years. This statistically significant clade-level excess cannot be explained by standard metabolic or ecological models. We provide a thermodynamic explanation within the Principle of Biological Time Equivalence (PBTE), where lifespan is determined by a finite cycle budget governed by entropy production. We show that primates reduce entropy production per physiological cycle through increased neural energy allocation. The neural power fraction acts as a control parameter, extending the effective lifetime cycle count. Three mechanisms, predictive regulation, enhanced repair, and behavioral buffering, jointly suppress dissipation. This yields a quantitative neuro-metabolic multiplier that explains primate longevity and provides testable predictions linking brain energetics, entropy production, and lifespan.