Sibling similarity in telomere length in Adélie penguin chicks

Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology Part A Molecular & Integrative Physiology, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: unknown, P. 111818 - 111818

Published: Jan. 1, 2025

Language: Английский

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Poor developmental conditions decrease adult body size and egg size, but not egg laying rate and survival throughout adulthood: A long‐term experiment in a precocial bird

Journal of Animal Ecology, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: unknown

Published: April 10, 2025

Abstract The quality of the environment during individual development is generally considered to have long‐lasting effects on performance in adulthood, but this mainly based observational studies that cannot pinpoint causal pathways behind such long‐term effects. In study, we performed a randomized controlled trial test for poor rearing diet growth, reproduction, and survival over complete life course female Japanese quail ( Coturnix japonica ). All individuals were housed under standardized conditions as adults allow separating developmental from adult environment. led dramatically reduced which delayed onset reproduction resulted body size throughout compared standard diet. While there no detectable age‐specific egg laying rate survival, despite strong senescence these fitness traits, females reared with did lay smaller eggs. Hence, although was effect per se, mother affect her she provides offspring embryonic development. We suggest may cause ‘silver spoon’ wild, if larger an advantage competition resources. However, rule out would lead lower food requirements, thereby acting ‘predictive adaptive response’

Language: Английский

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Mechanisms matching timing to resources: comparisons of closely related seasonally sympatric, migratory and non‐migratory populations

Journal of Avian Biology, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: 2025(2)

Published: March 1, 2025

As day length increases in spring, birds prepare to migrate and breed, relying on timing mechanisms shaped by selection match their behavior physiology ecological conditions suitable for reproduction. the climate changes these will determine how successful be keeping up. In this contribution, we review studies comparing photoperiodic thresholds, endocrine profiles of testosterone corticosterone, gene expression during pre‐breeding seasonally sympatric migratory resident populations a songbird, dark‐eyed junco Junco hyemalis . Elevation response GnRH served as proxy gonadal development, visible fat state, stable isotopes feathers claws breeding non‐breeding latitudes. Living same environment, migrants prepared fattening delaying while residents initiated development not fattening. Within migrants, estimated latitude origin co‐varied positively with negatively development. Together likely serve migration reproduction future appearance favorable environments where occur. Differences observed wild persisted common suggesting genetic divergence local adaptation, though possibility early developmental effects remain. warms resources support appear earlier, locally adapted dispersing immigrants from lower latitudes may bring along earlier thus providing or rescue. Future research responsible variation among allow better predictions adaptation change unfold. Keywords: garden, junco, gonad, hormone, migration, phenology, threshold, isotope

Language: Английский

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Telomeres in a spatial context: a tool for understanding ageing pattern variation in wild populations

Ecography, Journal Year: 2021, Volume and Issue: 2022(6)

Published: Nov. 3, 2021

Ageing refers to the loss of organismal functionality with age, a process that is characterised by decreased reproduction and survival probability. In natural populations, it expected environmental conditions influence an individual's ageing trajectory. Understanding role heterogeneity on variation could provide critical insights into population resilience species distribution but remains overlooked. Telomeres, end cap chromosomes, are promising integrative physiological marker health possible proxy aid understanding in trajectories. Here, we review existing information telomere length its dynamics wild populations distributed across spatial scales. Despite relative scarcity information, there evidence for divergence between facing contrasting environments. Nonetheless, higher resolution temporal replication needed fully understand play variation. Since most studies correlational, future field laboratory experiments required. For first time, demonstrate use data predict habitat suitability through models (SDMs). This represents new research area study pattern populations. Furthermore, inclusion SDMs may improve our resilience. However, telomeres within this context be limited if no previous knowledge relevance as markers at level available. Finally, suggest some key practical theoretical considerations that, ideally, combining biogeographic should pay attention.

Language: Английский

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Early‐life seasonal, weather and social effects on telomere length in a wild mammal

Molecular Ecology, Journal Year: 2021, Volume and Issue: 31(23), P. 5993 - 6007

Published: June 8, 2021

Early-life environmental conditions can provide a source of individual variation in life-history strategies and senescence patterns. Conditions experienced early life be quantified by measuring telomere length, which act as biomarker survival probability some species. Here, we investigate whether seasonal changes, weather group size are associated with early-life and/or early-adulthood length wild population European badgers (Meles meles). We found substantial intra-annual changes during the first 3 years life, where within-individual effects showed shorter lengths winter following spring trend for longer second compared to winter. In terms conditions, cubs born warmer, wetter springs low rainfall variability had (3-12 months old) telomeres. Additionally, groups more marginally telomeres, providing no evidence resource constraint from cub competition. also that positive association between remained when social variables were included. Finally, after sexual maturity, adulthood (i.e., 12-36 months) significant same-sex adult effect intrasexual competition). Overall, show controlling effects, linked food availability, is important analyses, reflects predicts year survival.

Language: Английский

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Telomere length is highly heritable and independent of growth rate manipulated by temperature in field crickets

Molecular Ecology, Journal Year: 2021, Volume and Issue: 31(23), P. 6128 - 6140

Published: March 17, 2021

Many organisms are capable of growing faster than they do. Restrained growth rate has functionally been explained by negative effects on lifespan accelerated growth. However, the underlying mechanisms remain elusive. Telomere attrition proposed as a causal agent and mostly studied in endothermic vertebrates. We established that telomeres exist chromosomal-ends model insect, field cricket Gryllus campestris, using terminal restriction fragment Bal 31 methods. Telomeres comprised TTAGGn repeats 38 kb average, more four times longer human infants. assays confirmed telomeric were located at chromosome-ends. tested whether rapid between day 1, 65, 85, 125 is achieved expense telomere length comparing nymphs reared 23°C with their siblings 28°C, which grew three initial 65 days. Surprisingly, neither temperature treatment nor age affected average length. Concomitantly, broad sense heritability was remarkably high ~100%. Despite heritability, evolvability (a mean-standardized measure genetic variance) low relative to body mass. discuss our findings context evolution. Some important features vertebrate biology evident an insect species dating back Triassic. The apparent lack effect puzzling, suggesting strong maintenance during phase. Whether such adaptive remains elusive requires further study investigating links fitness wild.

Language: Английский

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Linking telomere dynamics to evolution, life history and environmental change: perspectives, predictions and problems

Biogerontology, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 25(2), P. 301 - 311

Published: Jan. 22, 2024

Abstract This perspectives paper considers the value of studying telomere biology outside a biomedical context. I provide illustrative examples kinds questions that evolutionary ecologists have addressed in studies dynamics non-model species, primarily metazoan animals, and what this can contribute to our understanding their evolution, life histories health. also discuss why predicted relationships between history traits, based on detailed cellular humans model organisms, are not always found other species.

Language: Английский

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Telomere dynamics in the first year of life, but not later in life, predict lifespan in a wild bird

Molecular Ecology, Journal Year: 2021, Volume and Issue: 31(23), P. 6008 - 6017

Published: Dec. 1, 2021

Telomeres are protective, nucleoprotein structures at the end of chromosomes that have been associated with lifespan across taxa. However, extent to which these associations can be attributed absolute length vs. rate telomere shortening prior sampling remains unresolved. In a longitudinal study, we examined relationship between lifespan, and in wild, purple-crowned fairy-wrens (Malurus coronatus coronatus). To this end, measured using quantitative polymerase chain reaction blood 59 individuals sampled as nestlings 4-14 months thereafter, 141 known-age on average three times adulthood. We applied within-subject centring analyses simultaneously test for shortening. reveal lesser first year life independently predicted faster rates and/or shorter telomeres living less long. contrast, adulthood neither nor despite considerably larger data set. Our results suggest very early (during development) assessments during constitute more useful biomarkers total expectancy than either after development, or later

Language: Английский

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Telomere length declines with age, but relates to immune function independent of age in a wild passerine

Royal Society Open Science, Journal Year: 2022, Volume and Issue: 9(4)

Published: April 1, 2022

Telomere length (TL) shortens with age but telomere dynamics can relate to fitness components independent of age. Immune function often relates such and also interact telomeres. Studying the link between TL immune may therefore help us understand telomere-fitness associations. We assessed relationships erythrocyte four indices (haptoglobin, natural antibodies (NAbs), complement activity (CA) heterophil-lymphocyte (HL) ratio; n = 477-589), from known-aged individuals a wild passerine (Malurus coronatus). As expected, we find that significantly declined To verify whether associations were parallel age-related changes (e.g. immunosenescence), statistically controlled for sampling used within-subject centring separate within or individuals. found positively predicted CA at between-individual level (individuals longer average had higher CA), no other indices. By contrast, levels NAbs HL ratio, allowing inference respective are independent. Any links existing unlikely be strongly mediated by innate function, while appear expressions individual heterogeneity.

Language: Английский

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Causes and consequences of variation in early‐life telomere length in a bird metapopulation

Ecology and Evolution, Journal Year: 2022, Volume and Issue: 12(8)

Published: July 31, 2022

Environmental conditions during early-life development can have lasting effects shaping individual heterogeneity in fitness and fitness-related traits. The length of telomeres, the DNA sequences protecting chromosome ends, may be affected by conditions, telomere (TL) has been associated with performance within some wild animal populations. Thus, knowledge mechanisms that generate variation TL, relationship between TL fitness, is important understanding role telomeres ecology life-history evolution. Here, we investigate how environmental morphological traits are blood if predicts natal dispersal probability or components 2746 house sparrow (Passer domesticus) nestlings from two populations sampled across 20 years (1994-2013). We retrieved weather data monitored population fluctuations, survival, reproductive output using field observations genetic pedigrees. found a negative effect density on but only one There was curvilinear association maximum daily North Atlantic Oscillation index incubation, suggesting there optimal result longest TL. Dispersers tended to shorter than non-dispersers. did not predict tendency for individuals short higher annual success. Our study showed shaped growth, density, supporting stressors negatively affect In addition, faster pace-of-life, as rates reproduction

Language: Английский

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