1
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Dupont SM, Barbraud C, Chastel O, Delord K, Pallud M, Parenteau C, Weimerskirch H, Angelier F. How does maternal age influence reproductive performance and offspring phenotype in the snow petrel (Pagodroma nivea)? Oecologia 2023; 203:63-78. [PMID: 37833549 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-023-05451-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2023] [Accepted: 09/11/2023] [Indexed: 10/15/2023]
Abstract
In wild vertebrates, the increase of breeding success with advancing age has been extensively studied through laying date, clutch size, hatching success, and fledging success. However, to better evaluate the influence of age on reproductive performance in species with high reproductive success, assessing not only reproductive success but also other proxies of reproductive performance appear crucial. For example, the quality of developmental conditions and offspring phenotype can provide robust and complementary information on reproductive performance. In long-lived vertebrate species, several proxies of developmental conditions can be used to estimate the quality of the produced offspring (i.e., body size, body condition, corticosterone levels, and telomere length), and therefore, their probability to survive. By sampling chicks reared by known-aged mothers, we investigated the influence of maternal age on reproductive performance and offspring quality in a long-lived bird species, the snow petrel (Pagodroma nivea). Older females bred and left their chick alone earlier. Moreover, older females had larger chicks that grew faster, and ultimately, those chicks had a higher survival probability at the nest. In addition, older mothers produced chicks with a higher sensitivity to stress, as shown by moderately higher stress-induced corticosterone levels. Overall, our study demonstrated that maternal age is correlated to reproductive performance (hatching date, duration of the guarding period and survival) and offspring quality (body size, growth rate and sensitivity to stress), suggesting that older individuals provide better parental cares to their offspring. These results also demonstrate that maternal age can affect the offspring phenotype with potential long-term consequences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sophie M Dupont
- Laboratoire de Biologie des Organismes et des Ecosystèmes Aquatiques (BOREA), MNHN, CNRS UMR8067, SU, IRD207, UCN, UA, 97275, Schoelcher Cedex, Martinique, France.
- Institut du Littoral, Environnement et Sociétés (LIENSs), CNRS UMR7266, La Rochelle Université, 17000, La Rochelle, France.
| | - Christophe Barbraud
- Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé (CEBC), CNRS UMR7372, La Rochelle Université, 79360, Villiers-en-Bois, France
| | - Olivier Chastel
- Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé (CEBC), CNRS UMR7372, La Rochelle Université, 79360, Villiers-en-Bois, France
| | - Karine Delord
- Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé (CEBC), CNRS UMR7372, La Rochelle Université, 79360, Villiers-en-Bois, France
| | - Marie Pallud
- Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé (CEBC), CNRS UMR7372, La Rochelle Université, 79360, Villiers-en-Bois, France
| | - Charline Parenteau
- Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé (CEBC), CNRS UMR7372, La Rochelle Université, 79360, Villiers-en-Bois, France
| | - Henri Weimerskirch
- Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé (CEBC), CNRS UMR7372, La Rochelle Université, 79360, Villiers-en-Bois, France
| | - Frédéric Angelier
- Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé (CEBC), CNRS UMR7372, La Rochelle Université, 79360, Villiers-en-Bois, France
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2
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Martine P, Aude A. Parental age at conception on mouse lemur's offspring longevity: Sex-specific maternal effects. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0265783. [PMID: 36580457 PMCID: PMC9799291 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0265783] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2022] [Accepted: 11/22/2022] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Parental age at conception often influences offspring's longevity, a phenomenon referred as the "Lansing effect" described in large variety of organisms. But, the majority of the results refer to the survival of juveniles, mainly explained by an inadequate parental care by the elderly parents, mostly the mothers. Studies on the effect of parental age on offspring's longevity in adulthood remain few, except in humans for whom effects of parental age vary according to statistical models or socioeconomic environments. In a small primate in which the longevity reaches up to 13 years, we investigated the effects of parental age at conception on the longevity of offspring (N = 278) issued from parents with known longevity. None of the postnatal parameters (body mass at 30 and 60 days after birth, size and composition of the litter) influenced offspring's longevity. Mothers' age at conception negatively affected offspring's longevity in males but not in females. By contrast, fathers' age at conception did not influence offspring's longevity. Finally, the longevity of female offspring was significantly positively related to the longevity of both parents. Compared with current studies, the surprisingly minor effect of fathers 'age was related to the high seasonal reproduction and the particular telomere biology of mouse lemurs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Perret Martine
- UMR 7179, Adaptive mechanisms and Evolution, MECADEV, Brunoy, France
- * E-mail:
| | - Anzeraey Aude
- UMR 7179, Adaptive mechanisms and Evolution, MECADEV, Brunoy, France
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3
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Sepp T, Meitern R, Heidinger B, Noreikiene K, Rattiste K, Hõrak P, Saks L, Kittilson J, Urvik J, Giraudeau M. Parental age does not influence offspring telomeres during early life in common gulls (Larus canus). Mol Ecol 2022; 31:6197-6207. [PMID: 33772917 DOI: 10.1111/mec.15905] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2020] [Revised: 02/27/2021] [Accepted: 03/22/2021] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
Parental age can affect offspring telomere length through heritable and epigenetic-like effects, but at what stage during development these effects are established is not well known. To address this, we conducted a cross-fostering experiment in common gulls (Larus canus) that enabled us distinguish between pre- and post-natal parental age effects on offspring telomere length. Whole clutches were exchanged after clutch completion within and between parental age classes (young and old) and blood samples were collected from chicks at hatching and during the fastest growth phase (11 days later) to measure telomeres. Neither the ages of the natal nor the foster parents predicted the telomere length or the change in telomere lengths of their chicks. Telomere length (TL) was repeatable within chicks, but increased across development (repeatability = 0.55, intraclass correlation coefficient within sampling events 0.934). Telomere length and the change in telomere length were not predicted by post-natal growth rate. Taken together, these findings suggest that in common gulls, telomere length during early life is not influenced by parental age or growth rate, which may indicate that protective mechanisms buffer telomeres from external conditions during development in this relatively long-lived species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tuul Sepp
- Institute of Ecology and Earth Sciences, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia
| | - Richard Meitern
- Institute of Ecology and Earth Sciences, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia
| | - Britt Heidinger
- Biological Sciences Department, North Dakota State University, Fargo, ND, USA
| | - Kristina Noreikiene
- Institute of Veterinary Medicine, Estonian University of Life Sciences, Tartu, Estonia
| | - Kalev Rattiste
- Institute of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Estonian University of Life Sciences, Tartu, Estonia
| | - Peeter Hõrak
- Institute of Ecology and Earth Sciences, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia
| | - Lauri Saks
- Estonian Marine Institute, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia
| | - Jeffrey Kittilson
- Biological Sciences Department, North Dakota State University, Fargo, ND, USA
| | - Janek Urvik
- Institute of Ecology and Earth Sciences, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia.,Institute of Biomedicine and Translational Medicine, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia
| | - Mathieu Giraudeau
- CREEC, Montpellier Cedex 5, France.,MIVEGEC, UMR IRD/CNRS/UM 5290, Montpellier Cedex 5, France
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4
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Sparks AM, Spurgin LG, van der Velde M, Fairfield EA, Komdeur J, Burke T, Richardson DS, Dugdale HL. Telomere heritability and parental age at conception effects in a wild avian population. Mol Ecol 2022; 31:6324-6338. [PMID: 33586226 DOI: 10.1111/mec.15804] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2020] [Revised: 12/09/2020] [Accepted: 12/14/2020] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
Individual variation in telomere length is predictive of health and mortality risk across a range of species. However, the relative influence of environmental and genetic variation on individual telomere length in wild populations remains poorly understood. Heritability of telomere length has primarily been calculated using parent-offspring regression which can be confounded by shared environments. To control for confounding variables, quantitative genetic "animal models" can be used, but few studies have applied animal models in wild populations. Furthermore, parental age at conception may also influence offspring telomere length, but most studies have been cross-sectional. We investigated within- and between-parental age at conception effects and heritability of telomere length in the Seychelles warbler using measures from birds caught over 20 years and a multigenerational pedigree. We found a weak negative within-paternal age at conception effect (as fathers aged, their offspring had shorter telomeres) and a weak positive between-maternal age at conception effect (females that survived to older ages had offspring with longer telomeres). Animal models provided evidence that heritability and evolvability of telomere length were low in this population, and that variation in telomere length was not driven by early-life effects of hatch period or parental identities. Quantitative polymerase chain reaction plate had a large influence on telomere length variation and not accounting for it in the models would have underestimated heritability. Our study illustrates the need to include and account for technical variation in order to accurately estimate heritability, as well as other environmental effects, on telomere length in natural populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra M Sparks
- Faculty of Biological Sciences, School of Biology, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK
| | - Lewis G Spurgin
- School of Biological Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich, UK
| | - Marco van der Velde
- Behavioural and Physiological Ecology, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | | | - Jan Komdeur
- Behavioural and Physiological Ecology, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Terry Burke
- Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
| | - David S Richardson
- School of Biological Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich, UK.,Nature Seychelles, Victoria, Mahé, Republic of Seychelles
| | - Hannah L Dugdale
- Faculty of Biological Sciences, School of Biology, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK.,Behavioural and Physiological Ecology, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
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5
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Bennett S, Girndt A, Sánchez-Tójar A, Burke T, Simons M, Schroeder J. Evidence of Paternal Effects on Telomere Length Increases in Early Life. Front Genet 2022; 13:880455. [PMID: 35656320 PMCID: PMC9152208 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2022.880455] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2022] [Accepted: 04/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Offspring of older parents in many species have decreased longevity, a faster ageing rate and lower fecundity than offspring born to younger parents. Biomarkers of ageing, such as telomeres, that tend to shorten as individuals age, may provide insight into the mechanisms of such parental age effects. Parental age may be associated with offspring telomere length either directly through inheritance of shortened telomeres or indirectly, for example, through changes in parental care in older parents affecting offspring telomere length. Across the literature there is considerable variation in estimates of the heritability of telomere length, and in the direction and extent of parental age effects on telomere length. To address this, we experimentally tested how parental age is associated with the early-life telomere dynamics of chicks at two time points in a captive population of house sparrows Passer domesticus. We experimentally separated parental age from sex effects, and removed effects of age-assortative mating, by allowing the parent birds to only mate with young, or old partners. The effect of parental age was dependent on the sex of the parent and the chicks, and was found in the father-daughter relationship only; older fathers produced daughters with longer telomere lengths post-fledging. Overall we found that chick telomere length increased between the age of 0.5 and 3 months at the population and individual level. This finding is unusual in birds with such increases more commonly associated with non-avian taxa. Our results suggest parental age effects on telomere length are sex-specific either through indirect or direct inheritance. The study of similar patterns in different species and taxa will help us further understand variation in telomere length and its evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sophie Bennett
- Division of Biology, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom.,UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Wallingford, United Kingdom
| | - Antje Girndt
- Division of Biology, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom.,Department of Evolutionary Biology, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Seewiesen, Germany.,Department of Evolutionary Biology, Bielefeld University, Bielefeld, Germany
| | - Alfredo Sánchez-Tójar
- Division of Biology, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom.,Department of Evolutionary Biology, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Seewiesen, Germany.,Department of Evolutionary Biology, Bielefeld University, Bielefeld, Germany
| | - Terry Burke
- School of Biosciences, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom
| | - Mirre Simons
- School of Biosciences, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom
| | - Julia Schroeder
- Division of Biology, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
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6
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Hansen E, Skotnes T, Bustnes JO, Helander B, Eulaers I, Sun J, Covaci A, Bårdsen BJ, Zahn S, Criscuolo F, Bourgeon S. Telomere length in relation to persistent organic pollutant exposure in white-tailed eagle (Haliaeetus albicilla) nestlings from Sweden sampled in 1995-2013. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2022; 208:112712. [PMID: 35016866 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2022.112712] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2021] [Revised: 12/01/2021] [Accepted: 01/06/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Telomeres are used as biomarkers of vertebrate health because of the link between their length, lifespan, and survival. Exposure to environmental stressors appears to alter telomere dynamics, but little is known about telomere length and persistent organic pollutant (POP) exposure in wildlife. The white-tailed eagle (WTE; Haliaeetus albicilla) is an avian top predator that accumulates high levels of POPs and may subsequently suffer adverse health effects. Here we study the Baltic WTE population that is well documented to have been exposed to large contaminant burdens, thereby making it a promising candidate species for analyzing pollutant-mediated effects on telomeres. We investigated telomere lengths in WTE nestlings (n = 168) over 19 years and examined legacy POP concentrations (organochlorines and polybrominated diphenyl ethers) in whole blood and serum as potential drivers of differences in telomere length. Although we detected significant year-to-year variations in telomere lengths among the WTE nestlings, telomere lengths did not correlate with any of the investigated POP concentrations of several classes. Given that telomere lengths did not associate with POP contamination in the Baltic WTE nestlings, we propose that other environmental and biological factors, which likely fluctuate on a year-to-year basis, could be more important drivers of telomere lengths in this population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisabeth Hansen
- UiT - the Arctic University of Norway, Department of Arctic and Marine Biology, Hansine Hansens Veg 18, NO-9019 Tromsø, Norway.
| | - Tove Skotnes
- UiT - the Arctic University of Norway, Department of Arctic and Marine Biology, Hansine Hansens Veg 18, NO-9019 Tromsø, Norway; Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA), Framsenteret, Hjalmar Johansens Gate 14, NO-9296 Tromsø, Norway
| | - Jan Ove Bustnes
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA), Framsenteret, Hjalmar Johansens Gate 14, NO-9296 Tromsø, Norway
| | - Björn Helander
- Swedish Museum of Natural History, Department of Environmental Research and Monitoring, Box 50007, SE-10405 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Igor Eulaers
- Department of Bioscience, Aarhus University, Frederiksborgvej 399, PO Box 358, DK-4000 Roskilde, Denmark
| | - Jiachen Sun
- School of Environment, Jinan University, West Huangpu Avenue 601, 510632 Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Adrian Covaci
- Toxicological Centre, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, BE-2610 Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - Bård-Jørgen Bårdsen
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA), Framsenteret, Hjalmar Johansens Gate 14, NO-9296 Tromsø, Norway
| | - Sandrine Zahn
- Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, IPHC UMR 7178, F-67000 Strasbourg, France
| | - Francois Criscuolo
- Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, IPHC UMR 7178, F-67000 Strasbourg, France
| | - Sophie Bourgeon
- UiT - the Arctic University of Norway, Department of Arctic and Marine Biology, Hansine Hansens Veg 18, NO-9019 Tromsø, Norway
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7
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Morosinotto C, Bensch S, Tarka M, Karell P. Heritability and parental effects in telomere length in a color polymorphic long-lived bird. Physiol Biochem Zool 2022; 95:350-364. [DOI: 10.1086/720161] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
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8
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Segami JC, Lind MI, Qvarnström A. Should females prefer old males? Evol Lett 2021; 5:507-520. [PMID: 34621537 PMCID: PMC8484724 DOI: 10.1002/evl3.250] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2020] [Revised: 07/01/2021] [Accepted: 07/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Whether females should prefer to mate with old males is controversial. Old males may sire offspring of low quality because of an aging germline, but their proven ability to reach an old age can also be an excellent indicator of superior genetic quality, especially in natural populations. These genetic effects are, however, hard to study in nature, because they are often confounded with direct benefits offered by old males to the female, such as experience and high territory quality. We, therefore, used naturally occurring extra‐pair young to disentangle different aspects of male age on female fitness in a natural population of collared flycatchers because any difference between within‐ and extra‐pair young within a nest should be caused by paternal genetic effects only. Based on 18 years of long‐term data, we found that females paired with older males as social partners experienced an overall reproductive advantage. However, offspring sired by old males were of lower quality as compared to their extra‐pair half‐siblings, whereas the opposite was found in nests attended by young males. These results imply a negative genetic effect of old paternal age, given that extra‐pair males are competitive middle‐age males. Thus, offspring may benefit from being sired by young males but raised by old males, to maximize both genetic and direct effects. Our results show that direct and genetic benefits from pairing with old males may act in opposing directions and that the quality of the germline may deteriorate before other signs of senescence become obvious.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia Carolina Segami
- Department of Ecology and Genetics, Animal Ecology Uppsala University Uppsala SE-75236 Sweden
| | - Martin I Lind
- Department of Ecology and Genetics, Animal Ecology Uppsala University Uppsala SE-75236 Sweden
| | - Anna Qvarnström
- Department of Ecology and Genetics, Animal Ecology Uppsala University Uppsala SE-75236 Sweden
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9
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van Lieshout SHJ, Sparks AM, Bretman A, Newman C, Buesching CD, Burke T, Macdonald DW, Dugdale HL. Estimation of environmental, genetic and parental age at conception effects on telomere length in a wild mammal. J Evol Biol 2020; 34:296-308. [PMID: 33113164 DOI: 10.1111/jeb.13728] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2020] [Revised: 10/09/2020] [Accepted: 10/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Understanding individual variation in fitness-related traits requires separating the environmental and genetic determinants. Telomeres are protective caps at the ends of chromosomes that are thought to be a biomarker of senescence as their length predicts mortality risk and reflect the physiological consequences of environmental conditions. The relative contribution of genetic and environmental factors to individual variation in telomere length is, however, unclear, yet important for understanding its evolutionary dynamics. In particular, the evidence for transgenerational effects, in terms of parental age at conception, on telomere length is mixed. Here, we investigate the heritability of telomere length, using the 'animal model', and parental age at conception effects on offspring telomere length in a wild population of European badgers (Meles meles). Although we found no heritability of telomere length and low evolvability (<0.001), our power to detect heritability was low and a repeatability of 2% across individual lifetimes provides a low upper limit to ordinary narrow-sense heritability. However, year (32%) and cohort (3%) explained greater proportions of the phenotypic variance in telomere length, excluding qPCR plate and row variances. There was no support for cross-sectional or within-individual parental age at conception effects on offspring telomere length. Our results indicate a lack of transgenerational effects through parental age at conception and a low potential for evolutionary change in telomere length in this population. Instead, we provide evidence that individual variation in telomere length is largely driven by environmental variation in this wild mammal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sil H J van Lieshout
- Faculty of Biological Sciences, School of Biology, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK.,Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, NERC Biomolecular Analysis Facility, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
| | - Alexandra M Sparks
- Faculty of Biological Sciences, School of Biology, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK
| | - Amanda Bretman
- Faculty of Biological Sciences, School of Biology, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK
| | - Chris Newman
- Wildlife Conservation Research Unit, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, The Recanati-Kaplan Centre, Abingdon, UK
| | - Christina D Buesching
- Wildlife Conservation Research Unit, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, The Recanati-Kaplan Centre, Abingdon, UK
| | - Terry Burke
- Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, NERC Biomolecular Analysis Facility, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
| | - David W Macdonald
- Wildlife Conservation Research Unit, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, The Recanati-Kaplan Centre, Abingdon, UK
| | - Hannah L Dugdale
- Faculty of Biological Sciences, School of Biology, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK.,Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
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10
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Remot F, Ronget V, Froy H, Rey B, Gaillard JM, Nussey DH, Lemaître JF. No sex differences in adult telomere length across vertebrates: a meta-analysis. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2020; 7:200548. [PMID: 33391781 PMCID: PMC7735339 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.200548] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2020] [Accepted: 09/29/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
In many mammalian species, females live on average longer than males. In humans, women have consistently longer telomeres than men, and this has led to speculation that sex differences in telomere length (TL) could play a role in sex differences in longevity. To address the generality and drivers of patterns of sex differences in TL across vertebrates, we performed meta-analyses across 51 species. We tested two main evolutionary hypotheses proposed to explain sex differences in TL, namely the heterogametic sex disadvantage and the sexual selection hypotheses. We found no support for consistent sex differences in TL between males and females among mammal, bird, fish and reptile species. This absence of sex differences in TL across different classes of vertebrates does not support the heterogametic sex disadvantage hypothesis. Likewise, the absence of any negative effect of sexual size dimorphism on male TL suggests that sexual selection is not likely to mediate the magnitude of sex differences in TL across vertebrates. Finally, the comparative analyses we conducted did not detect any association between sex differences in TL and sex differences in longevity, which does not support the idea that sex differences in TL could explain the observed sex differences in longevity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Florentin Remot
- Université de Lyon, Université Lyon 1, CNRS, Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Evolutive, UMR5558, F-69622 Villeurbanne, France
| | - Victor Ronget
- Université de Lyon, Université Lyon 1, CNRS, Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Evolutive, UMR5558, F-69622 Villeurbanne, France
| | - Hannah Froy
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH9 3FL, UK
- Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Benjamin Rey
- Université de Lyon, Université Lyon 1, CNRS, Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Evolutive, UMR5558, F-69622 Villeurbanne, France
| | - Jean-Michel Gaillard
- Université de Lyon, Université Lyon 1, CNRS, Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Evolutive, UMR5558, F-69622 Villeurbanne, France
| | - Daniel H. Nussey
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH9 3FL, UK
| | - Jean-François Lemaître
- Université de Lyon, Université Lyon 1, CNRS, Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Evolutive, UMR5558, F-69622 Villeurbanne, France
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11
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Heidinger BJ, Young RC. Cross‐Generational Effects of Parental Age on Offspring Longevity: Are Telomeres an Important Underlying Mechanism? Bioessays 2020; 42:e1900227. [DOI: 10.1002/bies.201900227] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2019] [Revised: 05/20/2020] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Britt J. Heidinger
- Biological Sciences Department North Dakota State University Fargo ND 58108 USA
| | - Rebecca C. Young
- Biological Sciences Department North Dakota State University Fargo ND 58108 USA
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12
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Sánchez-Montes G, Martínez-Solano Í, Díaz-Paniagua C, Vilches A, Ariño AH, Gomez-Mestre I. Telomere attrition with age in a wild amphibian population. Biol Lett 2020; 16:20200168. [PMID: 32673551 PMCID: PMC7423040 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2020.0168] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2020] [Accepted: 06/16/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Telomere shortening with age has been documented in many organisms, but few studies have reported telomere length measurements in amphibians, and no information is available for growth after metamorphosis, nor in wild populations. We provide both cross-sectional and longitudinal evidence of net telomere attrition with age in a wild amphibian population of natterjack toads (Epidalea calamita). Based on age-estimation by skeletochronology and qPCR telomere length measurements in the framework of an individual-based monitoring programme, we confirmed telomere attrition in recaptured males. Our results support that toads experience telomere attrition throughout their ontogeny, and that most attrition occurs during the first 1-2 years. We did not find associations between telomere length and inbreeding or body condition. Our results on telomere length dynamics under natural conditions confirm telomere shortening with age in amphibians and provide quantification of wide telomere length variation within and among age-classes in a wild breeding population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gregorio Sánchez-Montes
- Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales, CSIC, c/ José Gutiérrez Abascal, 2, 28006 Madrid, Spain
| | - Íñigo Martínez-Solano
- Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales, CSIC, c/ José Gutiérrez Abascal, 2, 28006 Madrid, Spain
| | - Carmen Díaz-Paniagua
- Ecology, Evolution, and Development Group, Doñana Biological Station, CSIC, c/ Américo Vespucio 26, 41092 Seville, Spain
| | - Antonio Vilches
- Department of Environmental Biology, University of Navarra, c/ Irunlarrea, 1, 31008 Pamplona, Spain
| | - Arturo H. Ariño
- Department of Environmental Biology, University of Navarra, c/ Irunlarrea, 1, 31008 Pamplona, Spain
| | - Ivan Gomez-Mestre
- Ecology, Evolution, and Development Group, Doñana Biological Station, CSIC, c/ Américo Vespucio 26, 41092 Seville, Spain
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Öst M, Noreikiene K, Angelier F, Jaatinen K. Sex-specific effects of the in ovo environment on early-life phenotypes in eiders. Oecologia 2019; 192:43-54. [PMID: 31786666 PMCID: PMC6974505 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-019-04569-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2019] [Accepted: 11/25/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Maternal effects affect offspring phenotype and fitness. However, the roles of offspring sex-specific sensitivity to maternal glucocorticoids and sex-biased maternal investment remain unclear. It is also uncertain whether telomere length (a marker associated with lifespan) depends on early growth in a sex-specific manner. We assessed whether maternal traits including corticosterone (CORT; the main avian glucocorticoid) and in ovo growth rate are sex-specifically related to offspring CORT exposure, relative telomere length (RTL) and body condition in eiders (Somateria mollissima). We measured feather CORT (fCORT), RTL and body condition of newly hatched ducklings, and growth rate in ovo was expressed as tarsus length at hatching per incubation duration. Maternal traits included baseline plasma CORT, RTL, body condition and breeding experience. We found that fCORT was negatively associated with growth rate in daughters, while it showed a positive association in sons. Lower offspring fCORT was associated with higher maternal baseline plasma CORT, and fCORT was higher in larger clutches and in those hatching later. The RTL of daughters was negatively associated with maternal RTL, whereas that of males was nearly independent of maternal RTL. Higher fCORT in ovo was associated with longer RTL at hatching in both sexes. Duckling body condition was mainly explained by egg weight, and sons had a slightly lower body condition. Our correlational results suggest that maternal effects may have heterogeneous and even diametrically opposed effects between the sexes during early development. Our findings also challenge the view that prenatal CORT exposure is invariably associated with shorter telomeres.
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Affiliation(s)
- Markus Öst
- Environmental and Marine Biology, Åbo Akademi University, Turku, Finland. .,Novia University of Applied Sciences, Ekenäs, Finland.
| | - Kristina Noreikiene
- Chair of Aquaculture, Institute of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences, Estonian University of Life Sciences, Kreutzwaldi tn. 46, Tartu, Estonia
| | - Frederic Angelier
- Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé, CNRS, La Rochelle Université, UMR 7372, Villiers en Bois, France
| | - Kim Jaatinen
- Nature and Game Management Trust Finland, Degerby, Finland
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14
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Chatelain M, Drobniak SM, Szulkin M. The association between stressors and telomeres in non‐human vertebrates: a meta‐analysis. Ecol Lett 2019; 23:381-398. [DOI: 10.1111/ele.13426] [Citation(s) in RCA: 99] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2019] [Revised: 10/10/2019] [Accepted: 10/16/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Marion Chatelain
- Centre of New Technologies University of Warsaw Banacha 2C 02‐097 Warszawa Poland
| | - Szymon M. Drobniak
- Institute of Environmental Sciences Jagiellonian University Gronostajowa 7 30‐387 Kraków Poland
- Ecology & Evolution Research Centre School of Biological, Environmental and Earth Sciences University of New South Wales Sydney Australia
| | - Marta Szulkin
- Centre of New Technologies University of Warsaw Banacha 2C 02‐097 Warszawa Poland
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15
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Angelier F, Weimerskirch H, Barbraud C, Chastel O. Is telomere length a molecular marker of individual quality? Insights from a long-lived bird. Funct Ecol 2019. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.13307] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Frédéric Angelier
- Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé; CNRS-Université de La Rochelle, UMR-7372; Villiers-en-Bois France
| | - Henri Weimerskirch
- Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé; CNRS-Université de La Rochelle, UMR-7372; Villiers-en-Bois France
| | - Christophe Barbraud
- Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé; CNRS-Université de La Rochelle, UMR-7372; Villiers-en-Bois France
| | - Olivier Chastel
- Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé; CNRS-Université de La Rochelle, UMR-7372; Villiers-en-Bois France
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16
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Giraudeau M, Angelier F, Sepp T. Do Telomeres Influence Pace-of-Life-Strategies in Response to Environmental Conditions Over a Lifetime and Between Generations? Bioessays 2019; 41:e1800162. [DOI: 10.1002/bies.201800162] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2018] [Revised: 12/06/2018] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Mathieu Giraudeau
- CREEC; 911 Avenue Agropolis; BP 6450134394 Montpellier Cedex 5 France
- MIVEGEC; UMR IRD/CNRS/UM 5290; 911 Avenue Agropolis, BP 6450134394 Montpellier Cedex 5 France
| | - Frederic Angelier
- CNRS CEBC-ULR; UMR 7372; Villiers en Bois 79360 Beauvoir sur Niort France
| | - Tuul Sepp
- Institute of Ecology and Earth Sciences; University of Tartu; Vanemuise 46 51014 Tartu Estonia
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