Comparative studies of mortality in the wild are necessary to understand the evolution of aging, yet ectothermic tetrapods are under-represented in this comparative landscape despite their suitability for testing evolutionary hypotheses. We present a study of aging rates and longevity across wild tetrapod ectotherms, utilizing data from 107 populations (77 species) of non-avian reptiles and amphibians. We test hypotheses of how thermoregulatory mode, temperature, protective phenotypes, and pace of life history contribute to demographic aging. Controlling for phylogeny and body size, ectotherms display a higher diversity of aging rates than endotherms and include phylogenetically widespread evidence of negligible aging. Protective phenotypes and life-history strategies further explain macroevolutionary patterns of aging. By adding ectothermic tetrapods, our comparative analyses enhance our understanding of the evolution of aging.

The datasheet contains all parameters and variables used in the analyses from Reinke et al., plus some measures of aging that were not used but were calculated from the same Gompertz models. Code is included to run all analyses in Reinke et al. Details are available in the main manuscript and the supplementary information. Questions about specific mark-recapture datasets should be directed to dataset owners (see Data S1).