| dc.description.abstract | The pattern of shorter telomere lengths in older individuals has been observed across many vertebrates, but has not been well-documented in bony fishes. Bony fish (i.e., Class Osteichthyes) represent the most speciose and oldest group of vertebrates, and understanding their telomere dynamics can fill gaps in our understanding of the process and evolution of aging in vertebrates. In this study we quantified telomere length, immune function, and stress in bigmouth buffalo (Ictiobus cyrpinellus), a long-lived bony fish in the family Catostomidae, to characterize variation in telomeres and condition. We found that length of telomeres extracted from red blood cells was not related to age. We also found that the neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio was lower in older individuals, and immune function was greater in older individuals. Our findings suggest bigmouth buffalo may be capable of intrinsic regulation of telomere shortening and provide support for the existence of negligible senescence in some vertebrates. | en_US |
