High social status males experience accelerated epigenetic aging in wild baboons

Aging, for virtually all life, is inescapable. However, within populations, biological aging rates vary. Understanding sources of variation in this process is central to understanding the biodemography of natural populations. We constructed a DNA methylation-based age predictor for an intensively st...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:eLife 2021-04, Vol.10
Main Authors: Anderson, Jordan A, Johnston, Rachel A, Lea, Amanda J, Campos, Fernando A, Voyles, Tawni N, Akinyi, Mercy Y, Alberts, Susan C, Archie, Elizabeth A, Tung, Jenny
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Age
Aging
Alzheimer's disease
Annotations
biological age
Breeding success
Datasets
DNA methylation
dominance rank
epigenetic clock
Epigenetic inheritance
Epigenetics
Evolution
Evolutionary Biology
Exercise
Genetics and Genomics
Genomes
Life history
Life span
Males
Medical research
Medicine, Experimental
Methylation
Physiology
Population
Population studies
Primates
Social aspects
Social interactions
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Summary:Aging, for virtually all life, is inescapable. However, within populations, biological aging rates vary. Understanding sources of variation in this process is central to understanding the biodemography of natural populations. We constructed a DNA methylation-based age predictor for an intensively studied wild baboon population in Kenya. Consistent with findings in humans, the resulting 'epigenetic clock' closely tracks chronological age, but individuals are predicted to be somewhat older or younger than their known ages. Surprisingly, these deviations are not explained by the strongest predictors of lifespan in this population, early adversity and social integration. Instead, they are best predicted by male dominance rank: high-ranking males are predicted to be older than their true ages, and epigenetic age tracks changes in rank over time. Our results argue that achieving high rank for male baboons - the best predictor of reproductive success - imposes costs consistent with a 'live fast, die young' life-history strategy.
ISSN:2050-084X
2050-084X
DOI:10.7554/eLife.66128