Raw data set of methylation rate.

Age is an important parameter for bettering the understanding of biodemographic trends—development, survival, reproduction and environmental effects—critical for conservation. However, current age estimation methods are challenging to apply to many species, and no standardised technique has been adopted yet. This study examined the potential use of methylation-sensitive high-resolution melting (MS-HRM), a labour-, time-, and cost-effective method to estimate chronological age from DNA methylation in Asian elephants (Elephas maximus). The objective of this study was to investigate the accuracy and validation of MS-HRM use for age determination in long-lived species, such as Asian elephants. The average lifespan of Asian elephants is between 50–70 years but some have been known to survive for more than 80 years. DNA was extracted from 53 blood samples of captive Asian elephants across 11 zoos in Japan, with known ages ranging from a few months to 65 years. Methylation rates of two candidate age-related epigenetic genes, RALYL and TET2, were significantly correlated with chronological age. Finally, we established a linear, unisex age estimation model with a mean absolute error (MAE) of 7.36 years. This exploratory study suggests an avenue to further explore MS-HRM as an alternative method to estimate the chronological age of Asian elephants.

年龄是深入解析生物人口统计趋势——涵盖发育、存活、繁殖及环境影响——的核心参数，而此类趋势对于物种保护工作至关重要。然而，当前的年龄估算方法难以适配多数物种，且尚未形成统一的标准化技术。本研究探讨了甲基化敏感高分辨率熔解（methylation-sensitive high-resolution melting, MS-HRM）技术的年龄估算潜力，该技术具备低劳力投入、耗时短、成本经济的优势，可通过亚洲象（Elephas maximus）的DNA甲基化水平推断其实际年龄。本研究的目标为验证MS-HRM技术在长寿物种（如亚洲象）年龄测定中的准确性与有效性。亚洲象的平均寿命介于50至70年，已知部分个体寿命可超过80年。研究团队从日本11家动物园的53份圈养亚洲象血液样本中提取了DNA，样本的已知年龄跨度为数月至65年。经检测，两个候选年龄相关表观遗传基因RALYL与TET2的甲基化率与实际年龄呈显著相关。最终，本研究构建了一个线性、不分性别的年龄估算模型，其平均绝对误差（mean absolute error, MAE）为7.36年。此项探索性研究表明，MS-HRM技术可作为一种备选方案，用于进一步开展亚洲象实际年龄的估算工作。