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Updated: May 21, 2025

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DNA Methylation Dynamics Reflect Sex and Status Differences in Mortality Rates in a Polygynous Bat.

Danielle M Adams1, Jack G Rayner1, Severine B S W Hex1

  • 1Department of Biology, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, USA.

Molecular Ecology
|March 22, 2025
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

In greater spear-nosed bats, male mortality risk is higher than females, with faster DNA methylation changes reflecting faster aging. Social status also impacts mortality and DNA methylation rates in males.

Keywords:
Phyllostomus hastatusagingdemographyepigeneticsgreater spear‐nosed batpolygyny

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Area of Science:

  • Evolutionary biology
  • Gerontology
  • Epigenetics

Background:

  • Polygynous male mammals often have shorter lifespans and show earlier senescence than females.
  • DNA methylation (DNAm) patterns can predict chronological age in mammals.
  • The relationship between DNAm, survival, and senescence in wild animals remains largely unexplored.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate how sex and social status influence mortality rates and DNA methylation patterns in wild greater spear-nosed bats (Phyllostomus hastatus).
  • To determine if DNAm changes reflect differences in aging and mortality between sexes and social ranks.

Main Methods:

  • Estimating mortality rates using 34 years of recapture data from 2700 bats.
  • Profiling DNA methylation for over 300 adult bats.
  • Employing Bayesian analysis to assess mortality risk and DNAm rate differences.

Main Results:

  • Male bats face 1.8 times higher mortality risk than females.
  • DNA methylation changes 1.4 times faster in males than females, indicating a more dynamic methylome.
  • Sites with faster DNAm change are linked to androgens and the X chromosome, with hypermethylated sites in metabolic gene promoters.
  • Subordinate males exhibit higher mortality and faster DNAm changes compared to dominant males.

Conclusions:

  • Sex- and social status-related differences in mortality are mirrored by changes in DNA methylation in greater spear-nosed bats.
  • These findings offer new insights into the mechanisms of aging and mortality in wild populations.
  • DNA methylation serves as a biomarker for aging and survival influenced by biological and social factors.