Patterns of aging in the long-lived wandering albatross.

• Published in: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
• Main Authors: Lecomte, Vincent Julien, Sorci, Gabriele, Cornet, Stéphane, Jaeger, Audrey, Faivre, Bruno, Arnoux, Emilie, Gaillard, Maria, Trouvé, Colette, Besson, Dominique, Chastel, Olivier, Weimerskirch, Henri
• Other Authors: Centre d'Études Biologiques de Chizé (CEBC), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Biogéosciences UMR 6282 (BGS), Université de Bourgogne (UB)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Research supported by the French Polar Institute (IPEV; Program 109) and by the Fondation Albert II de Monaco., ANR-05-BLAN-0350,STRESS OX & AGE,Stress oxydant, vieillissement et longévité chez les oiseaux(2005)
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: HAL CCSD 2010
• Subjects: senescence; foraging; immunity; oxidative stress; sex; [SDV.EE]Life Sciences [q-bio]/Ecology; environment; [SDE.BE]Environmental Sciences/Biodiversity and Ecology; Antarc*; Antarctica; Wandering Albatross
• Online Access: https://hal.science/hal-00476082; https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.0911181107

6 pages International audience How does an animal age in natural conditions? Given the multifaceted nature of senescence, identifying the effects of age on physiology and behavior remains challenging. We investigated the effects of age on a broad array of phenotypic traits in a wild, long-lived animal, the wandering albatross. We studied foraging behavior using satellite tracking and activity loggers in males and females (age 6-48+ years), and monitored reproductive performance and nine markers of baseline physiology known to reflect senescence in vertebrates (humoral immunity, oxidative stress, antioxidant defenses, and hormone levels). Age strongly affected foraging behavior and reproductive performance, but not baseline physiology. Consistent with results of mammal and human studies, age affected males and females differently. Overall, our findings demonstrate that age, sex, and foraging ability interact in shaping aging patterns in natural conditions. Specifically, we found an unexpected pattern of spatial segregation by age; old males foraged in remote Antarctica waters, whereas young and middle-aged males never foraged south of the Polar Front. Old males traveled a greater distance but were less active at the sea surface, and returned from sea with elevated levels of stress hormone (corticosterone), mirroring a low foraging efficiency. In contrast to findings in captive animals and short-lived birds, and consistent with disposable soma theory, we found no detectable age-related deterioration of baseline physiology in albatrosses. We propose that foraging efficiency (i.e., the ability of individuals to extract energy from their environment) might play a central role in shaping aging patterns in natural conditions.