Timing matters: traffic noise accelerates telomere loss rate differently across developmental stages.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Noise pollution is one of the leading environmental health risks for humans, linked to a myriad of stress-related health problems. Yet little is known about the long-term effects of noise on the health and fitness of wildlife. We experimentally investigated the direct and cross-generational effects of traffic noise on telomeres; a measure of cellular ageing that is predictive of disease and longevity in humans and other organisms. We exposed zebra finches (Taenopygia guttata) to three different treatment groups: 1) parents were exposed to traffic noise before and during breeding, together with their nestling young, 2) fledged juveniles but not their parents were exposed to traffic noise, and 3) control group birds were never exposed to traffic noise.

Results

SUBMITTER: Dorado-Correa AM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6112141 | biostudies-literature | 2018

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature