Diverse aging rates in ectothermic tetrapods provide insights for the evolution of aging and longevity.
Beth A ReinkeHugo CayuelaFredric J JanzenJean-François LemaitreJean-Michel GaillardAnna Michelle LawingJohn B IversonDitte G ChristiansenIñigo Martínez-SolanoGregorio Sánchez-MontesJorge Gutiérrez-RodríguezFrancis L RoseNicola NelsonSusan KeallAlain J CrivelliTheodoros NaziridesAnnegret Grimm-SeyfarthKlaus HenleEmiliano MoriGaëtan GuillerRebecca HomanAnthony OlivierErin MuthsBlake R HossackXavier BonnetDavid S PilliodMarieke LettinkTony WhitakerBenedikt R SchmidtMichael G GardnerMarc CheylanFrançoise PoitevinAna GolubovićLjiljana TomovićDragan ArsovskiRichard A GriffithsJan W ArntzenJean-Pierre BaronJean-François Le GalliardThomas TullyLuca LuiselliMassimo CapulaLorenzo RugieroRebecca M MccafferyLisa A EbyVenetia S Briggs-GonzalezFrank MazzottiDavid PearsonBrad A LambertDavid M GreenNathalie JreidiniClaudio AngeliniGraham PykeJean-Marc ThirionPierre JolyJean-Paul LénaAnton D TuckerCol LimpusPauline PriolAurélien BesnardPauline BernardKristin I StanfordRichard B KingJustin GarwoodJaime BoschFranco Leandro de SouzaJaime BertoluciShirley FamelliKurt GrossenbacherOmar LenziKathleen MatthewsSylvain BoitaudDeanna H OlsonTim S JessopGraeme R GillespieJean ClobertMurielle RichardAndrés Valenzuela-SánchezGary M FellersPatrick M KleemanBrian J HalsteadEvan H Campbell GrantPhillip G ByrneThierry FréteyBernard Le GarffPauline LevionnoisJohn C MaerzJulian PichenotKurtuluş OlgunNazan ÜzümAziz AvcıClaude MiaudJohan ElmbergGregory P BrownRichard ShineNathan F BendikLisa O'DonnellCourtney L DavisMichael J LannooRochelle M StilesRobert M CoxAaron M ReedyDaniel A WarnerEric BonnaireKristine L GraysonRoberto Ramos-TargaronaEyup BaskaleDavid MuñozG John MeaseyF Andre de VilliersWill SelmanVictor RongetAnne M BronikowskiDavid A W MillerPublished in: Science (New York, N.Y.) (2022)
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.