All's well that ends well: why large species have short telomeres

Among mammal species, almost all life-history traits are strongly size dependent. This size dependence even occurs at a molecular level. For example, both telomere length and telomerase expression show a size-dependent threshold. With some exceptions, species smaller than approximately 2 kg express telomerase, while species larger than that do not. Among species greater than approximately 5 kg, telomeres tend to be short-less than 25 kb-while among smaller species, some species have short and some have long telomeres. Here, we present a model to explore the role of body size-dependent trade-offs in shaping this threshold. We assume that selection favours short telomeres as a mechanism to protect against cancer. At the same time, selection favours long telomeres as a protective mechanism against DNA damage and replicative senescence. The relative importance of these two selective forces will depend on underlying intrinsic mortality and risk of cancer, both of which are size-dependent. Results from this model suggest that a cost-benefit model for the evolution of telomere length could explain phylogenetic patterns observed within the Class Mammalia. In addition, the model suggests a general conceptual framework to think about the role that body size plays in the evolution of tumour suppressor mechanisms.This article is part of the theme issue 'Understanding diversity in telomere dynamics'.