Abstract
In humans, the effect of paternal age at conception (PAC) on offspring leukocyte telomere length (LTL) is well established, with older fathers thought to pass on longer telomeres to their offspring in their sperm. Few studies have looked for PAC effects in other species, but it has been hypothesised that the effect will be exacerbated in polygamous species with higher levels of sperm competition and production. We test for maternal (MAC) and paternal age at conception effects on offspring LTL in Soay sheep, a primitive breed experiencing strong sperm competition. We use qPCR to measure relative telomere length in 389 blood samples (n = 318 individuals) collected from an unmanaged population of sheep on St Kilda, where individual age and parentage are known. We find no evidence that either MAC or PAC are associated with LTL in offspring across the age range, or when considering only young lambs (n = 164). This is the first study to test for parental age effects on offspring LTL in a wild mammal population, and the results contrast with the findings of numerous human studies that find a PAC effect, as well as predictions of a stronger PAC effect in polygamous species.
Highlights
IntroductionOPEN No evidence for parental age effects on offspring leukocyte telomere length in free-living Soay sheep
We find no evidence that offspring telomere length is related to maternal or paternal age at conception in wild Soay sheep
Our study is the first to describe effects of parental age on offspring telomere length in a wild mammal population, and we find no evidence that increasing paternal age is associated with longer telomeres in either adult or juvenile offspring (Fig. 3)
Summary
OPEN No evidence for parental age effects on offspring leukocyte telomere length in free-living Soay sheep. We find no evidence that either MAC or PAC are associated with LTL in offspring across the age range, or when considering only young lambs (n = 164). This is the first study to test for parental age effects on offspring LTL in a wild mammal population, and the results contrast with the findings of numerous human studies that find a PAC effect, as well as predictions of a stronger PAC effect in polygamous species. Understanding the causes of variation in the average blood cell telomere length of an individual organism has become an important question within both human epidemiology and evolutionary ecology
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