Slow and negligible senescence among testudines challenges evolutionary theories of senescence

Silva, Rita da; Conde, Dalia Amor; Baudisch, Annette; Colchero, Fernando

doi:10.1126/science.abl7811

Cited by 34 publications

(42 citation statements)

References 61 publications

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“…For example, within Chrysemys picta, age at maturity, longevity, and aging rates vary greatly even among populations (13,16,17). Moreover, in this issue, da Silva et al (51) show that turtles in captivity demonstrate slow-tonegligible aging rates, similar to our findings in wild species. Our analyses thus provide clear evidence that ectotherms have a great diversity of aging rates and longevities and add to the growing literature on ectotherm aging (10,11).…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 87%

Diverse aging rates in ectothermic tetrapods provide insights for the evolution of aging and longevity

Reinke

Cayuela

Janzen

et al. 2022

Science

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Comparative studies of mortality in the wild are necessary to understand the evolution of aging; yet, ectothermic tetrapods are underrepresented in this comparative landscape, despite their suitability for testing evolutionary hypotheses. We present a study of aging rates and longevity across wild tetrapod ectotherms, using data from 107 populations (77 species) of nonavian reptiles and amphibians. We test hypotheses of how thermoregulatory mode, environmental temperature, protective phenotypes, and pace of life history contribute to demographic aging. Controlling for phylogeny and body size, ectotherms display a higher diversity of aging rates compared with endotherms and include phylogenetically widespread evidence of negligible aging. Protective phenotypes and life-history strategies further explain macroevolutionary patterns of aging. Analyzing ectothermic tetrapods in a comparative context enhances our understanding of the evolution of aging.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 87%

Diverse aging rates in ectothermic tetrapods provide insights for the evolution of aging and longevity

Reinke

Cayuela

Janzen

et al. 2022

Science

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“…Turtles have lower mutation rates in mitochondrial and nuclear DNA (Lourenço et al, 2013) than mammals and birds, which may be related to the lower incidence of cancer found in these animals overall. In addition, turtles were recently found to have slower rates of aging and potential cellular mechanisms underlying delayed aging and cancer resistance (da Silva et al, 2022; Glaberman et al, 2021; Reinke et al, 2022). Growths and cancers do occur and can be detected in turtles and crocodilians (Garner et al, 2004; Sykes & Trupkiewicz, 2006).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Unraveling the relationship between cancer and life history traits in vertebrates

Platner

Ayub

Moreno

et al. 2022

Preprint

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Cancer rates vary widely across vertebrate groups. Identifying species with lower-than-expected cancer prevalence can help establish new models for unraveling the biological mechanisms underlying cancer resistance. Theoretical predictions suggest that cancer prevalence should be positively associated with body mass and longevity in animals. Yet, in mammals, the best studied vertebrates in terms of cancer, this prediction does not hold true - a phenomenon known as Peto's paradox. Despite mounting work disentangling the biological basis of Peto's paradox, it is still relatively unknown whether other major vertebrate groups behave similarly to mammals or might hold new keys to understanding cancer biology. Here, we present the largest dataset available so far on cancer prevalence across all major groups of tetrapod vertebrates: amphibians, birds, crocodilians, mammals, squamates (lizards and snakes), and turtles. We investigated cancer prevalence within and among these groups and its relationship with body mass and lifespan. This is the first study to analyze non-avian reptile groups separately. We found remarkably low cancer prevalence in birds, crocodilians, and turtles. Counter to previous studies, we found that body mass and lifespan are inversely related to cancer prevalence in mammals, although Peto's paradox still holds true in this group. Conversely, we rejected Peto's paradox in birds and squamates, as neoplasia prevalence was positively associated with body mass in these groups. The exceptionally low cancer prevalence in turtles and extensive variation in cancer prevalence amongst vertebrate families hold particular promise for identifying species with novel mechanisms of cancer resistance.

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“…There is no overall concordance across animal studies comparing senescence between captivity and the wild. Some taxa, such as mammals or squamates, survive better in captivity (Scharf et al, 2015;Tidière et al, 2016) and also have lower rates of senescence (Lemaître et al, 2013), while others, such as turtles or antler flies, show mixed results (Kawasaki et al, 2008;da Silva et al, 2022). Captive mammal males often show signs of age-related decline in sperm traits (Lemaître and Gaillard, 2017), but comparative data from the wild are very rare (but see Curren et al, 2013).…”

Section: Reproductive Senescence In Free-living and Captive Fishmentioning

confidence: 99%

Evidence for reproductive senescence across ray-finned fishes: A review

Vrtílek

Žák²,

Reichard³

2022

Front. Ecol. Evol.

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The origin, incidence, and consequences of reproductive senescence vary greatly across the tree of life. In vertebrates, research on reproductive senescence has been mainly focused on mammals and birds, demonstrating that its variation is largely linked to critical life history traits, such as growth patterns, juvenile, and adult mortality, and reproductive strategy. Fishes represent half of the vertebrate taxonomic diversity and display remarkable variation in life history. Based on a thorough literature review, we summarize current evidence on reproductive senescence in ray-finned fishes (Actinopterygii). While survival and physiological senescence are acknowledged in fish, their potential age-related reproductive decline has often been disregarded due to the prevalence of indeterminate growth. We demonstrate that age-related reproductive decline is reported across fish phylogeny, environments, and traits. An important point of our review is that the incidence of reproductive senescence in a species depends on both the number of studies for that species and the coverage of its maximum lifespan by the study. Reproductive senescence was documented for one-third of the studied fish species, with females suffering an age-related decline in reproductive traits less often than males or both parents combined. Neither parental care nor migratory strategy corresponded with the occurrence of reproductive senescence in fish. The traits that were affected by reproductive senescence most often were sex-specific, with pre-mating and mating categories of traits declining in females and sperm quality and quantity in males. We also demonstrate that reproductive senescence can be buffered by indeterminate growth. We provide rich evidence of reproductive senescence across ray-finned fishes, but we highlight the need for better data on age-related reproduction in fishes.

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Slow and negligible senescence among testudines challenges evolutionary theories of senescence

Cited by 34 publications

References 61 publications

Diverse aging rates in ectothermic tetrapods provide insights for the evolution of aging and longevity

Diverse aging rates in ectothermic tetrapods provide insights for the evolution of aging and longevity

Unraveling the relationship between cancer and life history traits in vertebrates

Evidence for reproductive senescence across ray-finned fishes: A review

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