Intergenerational transfer of ageing: parental age and offspring lifespan

Monaghan, P. , Maklakov, A. A. and Metcalfe, N. B. (2020) Intergenerational transfer of ageing: parental age and offspring lifespan. Trends in Ecology and Evolution, 35(10), pp. 927-937. (doi: 10.1016/j.tree.2020.07.005) (PMID:32741650)

Abstract

The extent to which the age of parents at reproduction can affect offspring lifespan and other fitness-related traits is important in our understanding of the selective forces shaping life history evolution. In this article, the widely reported negative effects of parental age on offspring lifespan (the ‘Lansing effect’) is examined. Outlined herein are the potential routes whereby a Lansing effect can occur, whether effects might accumulate across multiple generations, and how the Lansing effect should be viewed as part of a broader framework, considering how parental age affects offspring fitness. The robustness of the evidence for a Lansing effect produced so far, potential confounding variables, and how the underlying mechanisms might best be unravelled through carefully designed experimental studies are discussed.

• Item Type: Articles
• Status: Published
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Monaghan, Professor Pat and Metcalfe, Professor Neil
• Authors: Monaghan, P., Maklakov, A. A., and Metcalfe, N. B.
• College/School: College of Medical Veterinary and Life Sciences > School of Biodiversity, One Health & Veterinary Medicine
• Journal Name: Trends in Ecology and Evolution
• Publisher: Elsevier (Cell Press)
• ISSN: 0169-5347
• ISSN (Online): 1872-8383
• Published Online: 30 July 2020
• Copyright Holders: Copyright © 2020 The Authors
• First Published: First published in Trends in Ecology and Evolution 35(10): 927-937
• Publisher Policy: Reproduced under a Creative Commons License

Project Code	Award No	Project Name	Principal Investigator	Funder's Name	Funder Ref	Lead Dept
174157		Mechanisms underlying the growth-lifespan trade-off	Patricia Monaghan	Leverhulme Trust (LEVERHUL)	RPG-2017-061	Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine
173866		Effect of circadian disruption on telomere dynamics	Patricia Monaghan	Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC)	BB/P009174/1	Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine
305090		MITOWILD	Neil Metcalfe	European Commission (EC)	834653	Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine