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Telomere length as an indicator of life expectancy for the southern giant petrel

By 19 de January de 2011November 18th, 2020No Comments
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 19.01.2011

Telomere length as an indicator of life expectancy for the southern giant petrel

The length of telomeres, the DNA fragments that protect the ends of chromosomes from deterioration, could be an indicator of life expectancy in the southern giant petrel (Macronectes giganteus), an emblematic species of the Antarctic and sub-Antarctic regions, according to an article published in the journal Behavioral Ecology by an international group of researchers including Dr. Jacob González-Solís, from the UB's Department of Animal Biology and the Institute of Research of the Biodiversity (IRBio) at the University of Barcelona.


The project on which the article is based, which is directed by the expert Pat Monhagan (University of Glasgow, UK), also reveals that adult male giant petrels have shorter telomere lengths than females, a genetic difference that had not been documented until now in a scientific study of a bird species.

Telomeres, situated at the terminal end of chromosomes, are key elements in cell division. According to international research studies, telomeres shorten progressively with each cell division, and this reduction in length is associated with cell aging. The 2009 Nobel Prize for Medicine, awarded to Elizabeth H. Blackburn, Carol W. Greider and Jack Szostak, reflects the importance of the biological role of telomeres in cellular and molecular machinery.

The article in Behavioral Ecology focuses on a study of the giant petrel, a large scavenger found in the Arctic and sub-Antarctic regions which displays significant differences between males and females (size, behaviour, diet, etc), carried out in a breeding colony on Bird Island in South Georgia.