Data from: Migration and stress during reproduction govern telomere dynamics in a seabird

Changes in telomere length are believed to reflect changes in physiological state and life expectancy in animals. However, much remains unknown about the determinants of telomere dynamics in wild populations, and specifically the influence of conditions during highly mobile life-history stages, for example migration. We tested whether telomere dynamics were associated with migratory behaviour and/or with stress during reproduction in free-living seabirds. We induced short-term stress during reproduction in chick-rearing, black-legged kittiwakes (Rissa tridactyla), tracked winter migration with geolocators and measured telomere length before and after winter migration. We found that time spent at wintering grounds correlated with reduced telomere loss, while stress during reproduction accelerated telomere shortening. Our results suggest that different life-history stages interact to influence telomere length, and that migratory patterns may be important determinants of variation in an individual's telomere dynamics.

人们普遍认为，端粒长度（telomere length）的变化可反映动物的生理状态与预期寿命的改变。然而，目前关于野生种群中端粒动态变化的决定因素仍有诸多未解之处，尤其是高移动性生活史阶段（如迁徙）的环境条件所产生的影响。我们以野生海鸟为研究对象，检验了端粒动态变化是否与迁徙行为以及繁殖期间的应激反应存在关联。我们在育雏期的黑腿三趾鸥（black-legged kittiwakes，Rissa tridactyla）繁殖过程中诱导其产生短期应激反应，通过地理定位器（geolocators）追踪其冬季迁徙路径，并在冬季迁徙前后测量了端粒长度。研究结果显示，个体在越冬地的停留时长与端粒丢失速率降低显著相关，而繁殖期间的应激反应则会加速端粒缩短。本研究结果表明，不同生活史阶段会相互作用以影响端粒长度，且迁徙模式或许是个体端粒动态变化差异的重要决定因素。