Telomeres are conserved nucleotide sequences that protect DNA from degradation and indicate DNA integrity. Telomere shortening naturally occurs with age and exposure to stressors, and is emerging as a powerful measure of quality because it predicts survival, longevity, and reproductive success. Furthermore, high correlations between juvenile and adult telomere length within an individual suggest that early life stressors may ‘program’ later telomere dynamics and potentially influence how animals cope with their environment.

Emerging evidence suggests that telomere length and shortening may be influenced by past experience and likewise influence responses to ongoing environmental stressors. However, few studies have experimentally tested this question. My overarching goal is to investigate the causes and consequences of variation in telomere dynamics. Specifically, I will test the hypothesis that exposure to stressors, as well as other intrinsic traits (i.e. sex, initial telomere length), influences future telomere dynamics. To test this hypothesis, I administered an immune challenge to free-living female tree swallows (Tachycineta bicolor), and measured physiological, behavioral, and performance-related effects of this stressor on their offspring.

Q. Do maternal stressors have intergenerational consequences on chick growth, telomere dynamics, and survival?

Q. Is one sex more vulnerable to stress-induced telomere dynamics than another?

Q. What mechanisms could explain early differences in telomere dynamics?