No sex differences in adult telomere length across vertebrates: a meta-analysis.

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 hetero

SUBMITTER: Remot F 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7735339 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature