...Jose C. Noguera; Alberto Velando ABSTRACT In wild animals, telomere attrition during early development has been linked with several fitness disadvantages throughout life. Telomerase enzyme can elongate telomeres, but it is generally assumed that its activity is suppressed in most somatic tissues...

...Darryl McLennan; John D. Armstrong; David C. Stewart; Simon Mckelvey; Winnie Boner; Pat Monaghan; Neil B. Metcalfe ABSTRACT There is increasing evidence from endothermic vertebrates that telomeres, which cap the ends of chromosomes and play an important role in chromosome protection, decline...

... lifespan. Among them, one emerging hypothesis is that growth impacts adult survival and/or longevity through a shared, end point, ageing mechanism: telomere erosion. In this study, we manipulated brood size in order to investigate whether rapid growth (chicks in reduced broods) is effectively done...