Data from: Mating system transitions drive life span evolution in Pristionchus nematodes

Interactions between the sexes influence evolution at many scales, but not all animal species conform to the familiar male-female (dioecious) mating system; such taxa are powerful tools for studying the evolutionary importance of sexual selection and conflict on all manner of life-history traits, including longevity. We tested for an effect of mating system on adult life span in Pristionchus nematodes, where self-fertile hermaphrodites have replaced females multiple times independently throughout the genus (androdioecy). By measuring adult life span for 11 species (6 dioecious, 5 androdioecious), we found that life span is considerably shorter in hermaphrodites relative to closely related females. This effect is not a cost of reproduction; brood size did not reliably trade off with life span in self-fertilizing hermaphrodites or in mated females. Furthermore, we found that sexual dimorphism in life span varied among dioecious species, with females generally outliving males. Finally, we documented intraspecific variation for life span and cuticular disease (blistering) prevalence in Pristionchus pacificus, a model system for evolutionary-developmental biology. This work demonstrates that mating system transitions and life span evolution are linked in Pristionchus nematodes and provides a foundation for future comparative and mechanistic studies of aging in this genus.两性间的相互作用在多个尺度上影响演化进程，但并非所有动物物种都遵循广为人知的雌雄异体（dioecious）交配系统；此类类群是探究性选择与性冲突对包括寿命在内的各类生活史特征演化重要性的有力研究工具。我们以Pristionchus线虫属为研究对象，检验了交配系统对成虫寿命的影响；该属内可自我受精的雌雄同体多次独立取代了雌性个体，形成雄雌雄同体（androdioecy）交配系统。通过对11个物种（6个雌雄异体型、5个雄雌雄同体型）的成虫寿命进行测定，我们发现相较于近缘类群的雌性个体，雌雄同体的寿命显著更短。该效应并非繁殖成本所致；无论是自我受精的雌雄同体，还是已交配的雌性，其窝卵数均未与寿命呈现稳定的权衡关系。此外，我们还发现雌雄异体物种间的寿命两性异形存在差异，雌性通常比雄性更长寿。最后，我们在进化发育生物学的模式物种太平洋小杆线虫（Pristionchus pacificus）中，记录了种内寿命与体壁起泡病害（blistering）患病率的变异情况。本研究证实，Pristionchus线虫属内交配系统的转变与寿命演化存在关联，为该属衰老相关问题的后续比较研究与机制探究奠定了坚实基础。