Ageing and the cost of maintaining coloration in the Australian painted dragon

Giraudeau, Mathieu; Friesen, Christopher R.; Sudyka, Joanna; Rollings, Nicky; Whittington, Camilla M.; Wilson, Mark R.; Olsson, Mats

doi:10.1098/rsbl.2016.0077

Cited by 31 publications

(37 citation statements)

References 17 publications

(27 reference statements)

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“…year (but see Angelier et al, 2013 Our study is among the first to demonstrate that sexual signals are correlated with telomere dynamics (but see Giraudeau et al, 2016) and the first to demonstrate such a correlation in birds. Clearly, our understanding of the role of telomere dynamics in survival, senescence, and signaling in natural populations is in the early stages.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 73%

“…Recent attention has focused on the way that signal investment alters oxidative metabolism by increasing the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) or by decreasing oxidative defenses (Alonso‐Alvarez et al., ). Oxidative damage is thought to be the largest driver of telomere erosion (Monaghan & Haussmann, ); thus, we propose that sexual signals might reflect telomere dynamics if signal production incurs a cost (cellular senescence) in proportion to investment (Giraudeau et al., ). Our hypothesis need not be an alternative to other honesty mechanisms; rather, telomere erosion may function as the “currency” through which costs incurred by parasite defenses, immune activation, and oxidative damage are “paid.”…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Sexual signals reflect telomere dynamics in a wild bird

Taff

Freeman‐Gallant

2017

Ecology and Evolution

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Telomere dynamics in natural populations have been linked to survival, reproduction, and energetic investment. Given their putative role in mediating life‐history trade‐offs, telomeres are also a likely candidate for maintaining honesty in sexually selected signals; few studies to date, however, have demonstrated a correlation between sexual signals and telomere dynamics. Here, we show that plumage coloration in male common yellowthroats (Geothlypis trichas) is correlated with both relative telomere length and with the rate of telomere loss between years. Elevated antioxidant capacity is also associated with reduced telomere loss, but only among older males. Previous work in this population has demonstrated that males with brighter plumage are in better condition, have higher reproductive success, and are more likely to survive over winter. Thus, the signal attribute associated with mate choice in this system also conveys reliable information about telomere dynamics. At present, it is unclear whether telomere maintenance plays a causal role in maintaining signal honesty or whether the correlation arises due to underlying variation in individual resources or genotypes. We suggest that subsequent work should consider the possibility that fundamental trade‐offs between signal investment and cell‐level processes that influence aging and reproductive senescence may provide a foundation for understanding the maintenance of sexual signal honesty.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 73%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Sexual signals reflect telomere dynamics in a wild bird

Taff

Freeman‐Gallant

2017

Ecology and Evolution

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“…For example, increased secondary sexual trait expression can result in increased predation pressure (Zuk and Kolluru ), physiological costs such as increased telomere erosion rates (Giraudeau et al. ), or reduced immunocompetence (Faivre et al. ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…However, secondary sexual traits can also impose other types of costs. For example, increased secondary sexual trait expression can result in increased predation pressure (Zuk and Kolluru 1998), physiological costs such as increased telomere erosion rates (Giraudeau et al 2016), or reduced immunocompetence (Faivre et al 2003). Including other types of costs in the model may further reduce the expected lifespan of males with high investment in secondary sexual traits.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Sexual competition and the evolution of condition-dependent ageing

et al. 2018

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Increased individual resources (condition) can be correlated with either increased or decreased longevity. While variation in resource acquisition and allocation can account for some of this variation, the general conditions that select for either pattern remain unclear. Previous models suggest that nonlinearity of payoffs from investment in reproduction (e.g., male secondary sexual traits) can select for high‐condition individuals that sacrifice longevity to increase reproductive opportunity. However, it remains unclear what mating systems or patterns of sexual competition might select for such life‐history strategies. We used a model of condition‐dependent investment to explore how expected payoffs from increased expression of secondary sexual traits affect optimal investment in lifespan. We find that nonlinearity of these payoffs results in a negative relationship between condition and lifespan under two general conditions: first, when there are accelerating marginal benefits from increasing investment; second, when individuals that invest minimally in secondary sexual trait expression can still achieve matings. In the second scenario, the negative relationship occurs due to selection on low‐condition individuals to extend lifespan at the cost of secondary sexual trait expression. Our findings clarify the potential role of sexual selection in shaping patterns of condition‐dependent ageing, and highlight the importance of considering the strategies of both low‐ and high‐condition individuals when investigating patterns of condition‐dependent ageing.

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“…investigated the links between color fading during the mating season in Australian painted dragon lizards ( Ctenophorus pictus ) and telomere attrition. They demonstrated that levels of ROS at the onset of the mating season were unrelated to initial telomere length, but lizards that better maintained their coloration also lost more telomere bases (using qPCR) . Furthermore, work on the same species used its polymorphism with differences among morphs in head color and associated reproductive behaviors, including level of aggression and investment in reproduction.…”

Section: Telomeres As Biomarkers Of Aging and Correlates Of Fitness Cmentioning

confidence: 99%

Evolutionary ecology of telomeres: a review

Olsson

Wapstra

Friesen

2017

Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences

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Telomere-induced selection could take place if telomere-associated disease risk shortens reproductive life span and differently reduces relative fitness among individuals. Some of these diseases first appear before reproductive senescence and could thus influence ongoing selection. We ask whether we can estimate the components of the breeder's equation for telomeres, in which the response to selection (R, by definition "evolution") is the product of ongoing selection (S) and heritability (h 2 ). However, telomere inheritance is a conundrum: in quantitative genetics, traits can usually be allocated to categories with relatively high or low heritability, depending on their association with relative fitness. Telomere traits, however, show wide variation in heritability from zero to one, across taxa, gender, ethnicity, age, and disease status. In spite of this, there is divergence in telomere length among populations, supporting past and ongoing telomere evolution. Rates of telomere attrition and elongation vary among taxa with some, but not complete, taxonomic coherence. For example, telomerase is commonly referred to as "restricted to the germ line in mammals," but inbred mice and beavers have telomerase upregulation in somatic tissue, as do many ectotherms. These observations provoke a simplistic understanding of telomere evolutionary biology-clearly much is yet to be discovered.

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Ageing and the cost of maintaining coloration in the Australian painted dragon

Cited by 31 publications

References 17 publications

Sexual signals reflect telomere dynamics in a wild bird

Sexual signals reflect telomere dynamics in a wild bird

Sexual competition and the evolution of condition-dependent ageing

Evolutionary ecology of telomeres: a review

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