| Summary: | Sentinel species are animals that are susceptible to environmental hazards and can be studied to assess environmental quality for human health. One example is the avian species Icelandic rock ptarmigan (Lagopus muta), whose recent changes in population levels caught the attention of ecologists. To determine what drives the changes in their population, this project analyzes the fitness of 1,295 ptarmigans by measuring their telomere length, an established biomarker of health and aging. DNA samples collected in Iceland from 2006 to 2018 were used in quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) assays to calculate relative telomere length (RTL). These were then analyzed against ptarmigan-related data, including body condition and diet indices. Future work to determine why certain factors more significantly influence ptarmigan health can predict how the environment could affect human health as well.
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