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Diverse aging rates in ectothermic tetrapods provide insights for the evolution of aging and longevity

Beth A. Reinke·Hugo Cayuela·Fredric J. Janzen·Jean-François Lemaitre·Jean-Michel Gaillard·A. Michelle Lawing·John B. Iverson·Ditte G Christiansen·Iñigo Martínez-Solano·Gregorio Sánchez-Montes·Jorge S. Gutiérrez·Francis L Rose·Nicola J. Nelson·Susan Keall·Alain J Crivelli·Theodoros Nazirides·Annegret Grimm-Seyfarth·Klaus Henle·Emiliano Mori·Gaetan Guiller·Rebecca Homan·Anthony Olivier·Erin L. Muths·Blake R. Hossack·Xavier Bonnet·David S. Pilliod·Marieke Lettink·Tony Whitaker·Benedikt R. Schmidt·Michael G. Gardner·Marc Cheylan·Francoise Poitevin·Ana Golubovic·Ljiljana Tomovic·Dragan Arsovski·Richard A Griffiths·Jan W. Arntzen·Jean-Pierre Baron·Jean-Francois Le Galliard·Thomas Tully·Luca Luiselli·Massimo Capula·Lorenzo Rugiero·Rebecca M. McCaffery·Lisa A Eby·Briggs-Gonzalez; Venetia·Frank Mazzotti·David M. Pearson·Brad A. Lambert·David M. Green·Nathalie Jreidini·Claudio Angelini·Graham Pyke·Jean-Marc Thirion·Pierre Joly·Jean-Paul Lena·Tony Tucker·Limpus·Pauline Priol·Aurelien Besnard·Pauline Bernard·Kristin Stanford·Richard S. King·Justin M Garwood·Jaime Bosch·Franco Souza·Jaime Bertoluci·Shirley Famelli·Kurt Grossenbacher·Omar Lenzi·Kathleen Matthews·Sylvain Boitaud·Deanna H. Olson·Tim Jessop·Graeme Gillspie·Jean Clobert·Murielle Richard·Andrés Valenzuela-Sánchez·Gary M. Fellers·Patrick M. Kleeman·Brian J. Halstead·Evan H. Campbell Grant·Phillip G Byrne·Thierry Fretey·Gernard Le Garff·Pauline Levionnois·John C. Maerz·Julian Pichenot·Kurtulus Olgun·Nazan Uzum·Aziz Avci·Claude Miaud·Johan Elmberg·Gregory P Brown·Richard Shine·Nathan F Bendik·Lisa O’Donnell·Courtney L. Davis·Michael J Lannoo·Rochelle M Stiles
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Abstract

Comparative studies of mortality in the wild are necessary to understand the evolution of aging; yet, ectothermic tetrapods are underrepresented in this comparative landscape, despite their suitability for testing evolutionary hypotheses. We present a study of aging rates and longevity across wild tetrapod ectotherms, using data from 107 populations (77 species) of nonavian reptiles and amphibians. We test hypotheses of how thermoregulatory mode, environmental temperature, protective phenotypes, and pace of life history contribute to demographic aging. Controlling for phylogeny and body size, ectotherms display a higher diversity of aging rates compared with endotherms and include phylogenetically widespread evidence of negligible aging. Protective phenotypes and life-history strategies further explain macroevolutionary patterns of aging. Analyzing ectothermic tetrapods in a comparative context enhances our understanding of the evolution of aging.

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Beth A. Reinke, Hugo Cayuela, Fredric J. Janzen, Jean-François Lemaitre, Jean-Michel Gaillard, A. Michelle Lawing, John B. Iverson, Ditte G Christiansen, Iñigo Martínez-Solano, Gregorio Sánchez-Montes, Jorge S. Gutiérrez, Francis L Rose, Nicola J. Nelson, Susan Keall, Alain J Crivelli, Theodoros Nazirides, Annegret Grimm-Seyfarth, Klaus Henle, Emiliano Mori, Gaetan Guiller, Rebecca Homan, Anthony Olivier, Erin L. Muths, Blake R. Hossack, Xavier Bonnet, David S. Pilliod, Marieke Lettink, Tony Whitaker, Benedikt R. Schmidt, Michael G. Gardner, Marc Cheylan, Francoise Poitevin, Ana Golubovic, Ljiljana Tomovic, Dragan Arsovski, Richard A Griffiths, Jan W. Arntzen, Jean-Pierre Baron, Jean-Francois Le Galliard, Thomas Tully, Luca Luiselli, Massimo Capula, Lorenzo Rugiero, Rebecca M. McCaffery, Lisa A Eby, Briggs-Gonzalez; Venetia, Frank Mazzotti, David M. Pearson, Brad A. Lambert, David M. Green, Nathalie Jreidini, Claudio Angelini, Graham Pyke, Jean-Marc Thirion, Pierre Joly, Jean-Paul Lena, Tony Tucker, Limpus, Pauline Priol, Aurelien Besnard, Pauline Bernard, Kristin Stanford, Richard S. King, Justin M Garwood, Jaime Bosch, Franco Souza, Jaime Bertoluci, Shirley Famelli, Kurt Grossenbacher, Omar Lenzi, Kathleen Matthews, Sylvain Boitaud, Deanna H. Olson, Tim Jessop, Graeme Gillspie, Jean Clobert, Murielle Richard, Andrés Valenzuela-Sánchez, Gary M. Fellers, Patrick M. Kleeman, Brian J. Halstead, Evan H. Campbell Grant, Phillip G Byrne, Thierry Fretey, Gernard Le Garff, Pauline Levionnois, John C. Maerz, Julian Pichenot, Kurtulus Olgun, Nazan Uzum, Aziz Avci, Claude Miaud, Johan Elmberg, Gregory P Brown, Richard Shine, Nathan F Bendik, Lisa O’Donnell, Courtney L. Davis, Michael J Lannoo, Rochelle M Stiles. 2022. Diverse aging rates in ectothermic tetrapods provide insights for the evolution of aging and longevity. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.abm0151

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