Salmón, P. and Burraco, P. (2022) Telomeres and anthropogenic disturbances in wildlife: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Molecular Ecology, 31(23), pp. 6018-6039. (doi: 10.1111/mec.16370) (PMID:35080073)
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Abstract
Human-driven environmental changes are affecting wildlife across the globe. These challenges do not influence species or populations to the same extent and therefore, a comprehensive evaluation of organismal health is needed to determine their ultimate impact. Evidence suggests that telomeres (the terminal chromosomal regions) are sensitive to environmental conditions and have been posited as a surrogate for animal health and fitness. Evaluation of their use in an applied ecological context is still scarce. Here, using information from molecular and occupational biomedical studies, we aim to deliver ecologists and evolutionary biologists an accessible synthesis of the links between human disturbances and telomere length. In addition, we perform a systematic review and meta-analysis on studies measuring telomere length in wild/wild-derived animals facing anthropogenic disturbances. Despite the relatively small number of studies to date, our meta-analysis revealed a significant small negative association between disturbances and telomere length (-0.092 [-0.153, -0.030]; n= 28; k=159). Yet, our systematic review suggests that the use of telomeres as a biomarker to understand the anthropogenic impact on wildlife is limited. We propose some research avenues that will help to broadly evaluate their suitability: i) further causal studies on the link between human disturbances and telomeres; ii) investigating the organismal implications, in terms of fitness and performance, of a given telomere length in anthropogenically-disturbed scenarios; iii) better understanding of the underlying mechanisms of telomere dynamics. Future studies in these facets will help to ultimately determine their role as markers of health and fitness in wildlife facing anthropogenic disturbances.
| Item Type: | Articles |
|---|---|
| Additional Information: | PB was supported by a Marie-Sklodowska-Curie Individual Fellowship (797879-METAGE project). PS was supported by a Leverhulme Trust Research Project awarded to Profs. Pat Monaghan and Colin Selman (RPG-2017-061) and a Basque Government Postdoctoral Fellowship (POS-2020-1-0007) during the writing of the study. |
| Status: | Published |
| Refereed: | Yes |
| Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: | Burraco, Dr Pablo and Salmon, Dr Pablo |
| Authors: | Salmón, P., and Burraco, P. |
| College/School: | College of Medical Veterinary and Life Sciences > School of Biodiversity, One Health & Veterinary Medicine |
| Journal Name: | Molecular Ecology |
| Publisher: | Wiley |
| ISSN: | 0962-1083 |
| ISSN (Online): | 1365-294X |
| Published Online: | 26 January 2022 |
| Copyright Holders: | Copyright © 2022 The Authors |
| First Published: | First published in Molecular Ecology 31(23): 6018-6039 |
| Publisher Policy: | Reproduced under a Creative Commons Licence |
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