Meeting Abstract
Telomere lengths are reflective of an individual’s biological age as telomeres shorten in response to both environmental and physiological perturbations and shorter telomeres are associated with higher mortality risks. Therefore, telomere length measurements can be used to understand what factors influence aging rates as well as how reproductive behaviors vary as an individual’s mortality risk increases and future reproductive potential declines. Here, we measured the telomere lengths and reproductive behaviors of known-age, male wire-tailed manakins (Pipra filicauda) to understand how telomeres relate to a male’s chronological age, social status, and reproductive investment. Wire-tailed manakins are a lekking passerine and males form cooperative display coalitions wherein multiple males perform coordinated courtship displays for females, but only one male within the coalition reproduces. Male wire-tailed manakins must ascend a social hierarchy as floater males and only gain reproductive opportunities upon becoming a territory-holder. More cooperative floater males are quicker to become a territory-holder and more cooperative territory-holder sire more offspring. Our results show that only among territory-holding males do telomere length decline with age. Additionally, independent of a male’s age and social status, those with shorter telomeres interacted with coalition partners more frequently, maintained more exclusive positions within their social network, and tended to have more coalition partners. Overall, we identify status-specific patterns of aging and our results suggest males increase their reproductive investment as their future reproductive potential declines.
