The effect of nutritional stress and life history on the rate of telomere loss in black-legged kittiwake and red-legged kittiwake chicks
Slow-track species such as the red-legged kittiwake (Rissa brevirostris) and fast-track species such as the black-legged kittiwake (R. tridactyla) respond differently to environmental pressures. We examined how nutritional stress may affect the rate of telomere loss, a proxy for life expectancy, in...
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| Format: | Still Image |
| Language: | unknown |
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2012
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| Online Access: | http://hdl.handle.net/11122/1527 |
| Summary: | Slow-track species such as the red-legged kittiwake (Rissa brevirostris) and fast-track species such as the black-legged kittiwake (R. tridactyla) respond differently to environmental pressures. We examined how nutritional stress may affect the rate of telomere loss, a proxy for life expectancy, in these two seabirds. We did not find a significant effect of nutrition on telomere dynamics. However, there was a difference in species effect, with black-legged kittiwakes having an increase and red-legged kittiwakes a decrease in telomere length. This result may reflect differences in life history. |
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