Meeting Abstract
Telomere dynamics are increasingly used as an indicator of individual quality in ecological systems. We explored telomere dynamics in a long-lived tropical seabird, the blue-footed booby (Sula nebouxii). We predicted a slow telomere loss rate, to support a long lifespan, and a positive relationship between telomere length and fitness prospects, if telomeres are indicating individual quality. There was a cross-sectional negative relationship with chronological age (adults aged 2-22), and females lost telomere length more rapidly than males, which has been demonstrated in other bird species. Individual telomere length did not predict the survival of adults or chicks over six years, but parental telomere lengths interacted to predict chick recruitment. Unusually, boobies do not mate assortatively by chronological age, but there was strong assortative mating by telomere length, raising questions about the function and mechanism of this assortment, and its relation to the effect on chick recruitment. Previously assortative mating by telomere length has only been seen in tree swallows. Lastly, as a DNA-based character affecting fitness, telomere length is likely heritable. Using our unique dataset, we addressed heritability by comparing parental telomere lengths to offspring telomere lengths. Heritability was strongest through the mother, although correlations showed strong heritability between siblings and from mean parental telomere length as well. Thus, telomere length is a heritable trait in boobies, predicts with fitness outcomes, and either directly or indirectly indicates mate choices.
