[Morthoron]

Hmmm...if I remember correctly, Tolkien originally envisaged Orcs as physical manifestations of Maiaric spirits won over by Morgoth (this, of course, was before the corrupted elves concept or twisted mortal men idea came into effect). I suppose Orkish longevity depends on which concept you adhere to. If Orcs were, in fact, corrupted elves, then they would be immortal, would they not? However, most of the indications in Lord of the Rings is that Orcs were, at least in the 3rd Age, bred from mannish stock. Once again, the foggy-headed professor of philology never fully finished tinkering with his racial concepts, so the idea, as with many of Tolkien's storylines, will never be fully realized. But that's the reason Middle-earth forums remain prominent, isn't it? I mean really, one never tires of arguing the finer points of Balrog wings or Bombadil's racial designation.