Variation in early-life telomere dynamics in a long-lived bird: links to environmental conditions and survival.

ABSTRACT: Conditions experienced during early life can have profound consequences for both short- and long-term fitness. Variation in the natal environment has been shown to influence survival and reproductive performance of entire cohorts in wild vertebrate populations. Telomere dynamics potentially provide a link between the early environment and long-term fitness outcomes, yet we know little about how the environment can influence telomere dynamics in early life. We found that environmental conditions during growth have an important influence on early-life telomere length (TL) and attrition in nestlings of a long-lived bird, the European storm petrel Hydrobates pelagicus. Nestlings reared under unfavourable environmental conditions experienced significantly greater telomere loss during postnatal

SUBMITTER: Watson H 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4376192 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature