Telomere Length Differences Indicate Climate Change-Induced Stress and Population Decline in a Migratory Bird.

Area of Science:

• Ecology and evolutionary biology
• Climate change biology
• Genomics

Background:

• Genomic offset, or maladaptation to climate change, is difficult to validate.
• Physiological stress in animals facing climate change is hard to document without experiments.
• Telomere length is a biomarker for physiological stress, shortening faster under adverse conditions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the relationship between genomic offset and physiological stress.
• To assess the utility of telomere length as a measure of stress in wild populations.
• To explore the link between genomic offset, stress, and population dynamics in a migratory bird.

Main Methods:

• Modeling genomic offset across different climate change scenarios.
• Measuring relative telomere length in yellow warblers (Setophaga petechia).
• Correlating genomic offset, telomere length, and population trends.

Main Results:

• A significant correlation was found between genomic offset and telomere shortening.
• Higher genomic offset was associated with shorter telomeres, indicating increased stress.
• Genomic offset and telomere length were linked to observed population declines in yellow warblers.

Conclusions:

• Genomic offset is a measurable indicator of climate change-induced stress in wild populations.
• Telomere length serves as a valuable biomarker for physiological costs of adaptation.
• Climate change impacts, mediated by genomic offset and physiological stress, may drive population declines.