Data from: Age-related changes of oxidative status and immune function in a long-lived seabird

Experimental studies in humans and laboratory species have shown that the
decline of the immune system with age (immunosenescence) and the
accumulation of oxidative damage to macromolecules are two key
contributors to the onset and progression of the ageing process. Although
laboratory models have provided important insights, the physiological
basis of ageing in natural populations remains comparatively
understudied. In this study, we compared four markers of
oxidative status (SOD, GPx, Catalase and DNA damage) and eight immune
markers (IgY, haptoglobin, hemolysis–hemagglutination, and counts of
basophils, neutrophils, lymphocytes, heterophils, and eosinophils) between
younger (5-9 years old, n=21) and older (17-36 years old, n=22) breeders
of a long-lived seabird, the Scopoli’s shearwater (Calonectris diomedea),
to identify potential physiological signatures of ageing. Our dataset is
reported in the Excel file “shearwater_ageing_data.xlsx” and refers to
adult shearwaters sampled in May 2024, during the egg-laying
period. The dataset is structured so that, for each individual,
there is its ring number, sex, age and body mass along with the values of
the immune and oxidative markers analyzed. Ethic
statement: Fieldwork was carried out under the authorizations
issued by the Regione Siciliana, Assessorato Agricoltura e Foreste with
letter Prot. 17233 dated December 1, 2010, and subsequent communications
Prot. 2452 dated February 01, 2018, and Prot. 48759 dated May 22,
2023.