Environmental conditions in early life influence ageing rates in a wild population of red deer

Daniel H. Nussey*, Loeske E.B. Kruuk, Alison Morris, Tim H. Clutton-Brock

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalLetterpeer-review

182 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

The process of ageing, or senescence, is an important focus of current research, but our knowledge of the factors influencing ageing rates in naturally occurring populations remains poor [1]. A growing number of studies of wild vertebrate and human populations has shown that environmental conditions early in life can have long-term effects on fitness-correlated traits [2,3]. However, the consequences of early-life environment for ageing rates remain unknown [4]. Using data collected over 35 years from a wild population of red deer (Cervus elaphus), we show that females experiencing high levels of resource competition during early life showed faster rates of senescence as adults. Our results suggest that rather than inducing adaptive shifts in developmental trajectories, harsh early-life conditions may constrain development and ultimately exacerbate the ageing process.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)R1000-R1001
JournalCurrent Biology
Volume17
Issue number23
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 4 Dec 2007
Externally publishedYes

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