Meeting Abstract
Telomeres are repetitive, non-coding segments of DNA that form protective caps at the ends of linear eukaryotic chromosomes that enhance genome stability. Telomeres shorten during cell replication and in response to oxidative stress and both telomere length and loss rate have been shown to be predictive of longevity. Evolutionary ecologists are keenly interested in the role that telomere dynamics (length and loss rate) play in mediating individual differences in life-history strategies. Typically, telomeres are measured in blood cells because this tissue can be easily and non-destructively sampled. A few human studies have examined whether blood cell telomere length is correlated with the telomere lengths of other tissues and there is generally good correspondence. In birds, one study in adults also found telomere lengths in blood and other tissues were positively correlated. However, no avian studies have investigated intra-individual telomere correlations in juvenile birds. This could be potentially important if variable developmental rates of different tissues in the body result in tissue specific telomere dynamics. We examined these questions by collecting several somatic tissues in Franklin’s gull (Leucophaeus pipixcan) embryos prior to hatching in 2014 and from 40 day old, captive raised, Franklin’s gull chicks in 2015. Relative telomere length was assessed with quantitative PCR, and we will determine if there are significant differences between the intra-individual telomere length correlations of the embryonic and the 40 day old gulls.
