A new, updated account of poroid fungi in North America
Poroid fungi, commonly known as "polypores," are among the most frequently encountered fungi throughout the year because of their large ...
{"id":16645,"date":"2016-12-19T17:57:42","date_gmt":"2016-12-19T17:57:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bioengineer.org\/hormone-concentrations-in-young-mammals-predict-trade-offs-later-in-life\/"},"modified":"2016-12-19T17:57:42","modified_gmt":"2016-12-19T17:57:42","slug":"hormone-concentrations-in-young-mammals-predict-trade-offs-later-in-life","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bioengineer.org\/hormone-concentrations-in-young-mammals-predict-trade-offs-later-in-life\/","title":{"rendered":"Hormone concentrations in young mammals predict trade-offs later in life"},"content":{"rendered":"
Early development after birth can have profound effects on survival and reproduction. Now new research suggests that concentrations of a hormone associated with growth and aging in humans can be used to predict growth, reproduction, and lifespan in a population of wild animals.<\/p>\n
Researchers studying spotted hyenas found that juvenile concentrations of insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) predicted heavier juvenile weight, which in turn predicted greater likelihood of surviving to reproductive maturity and earlier ages at which they gave birth to their first offspring. However, juvenile IGF-1 also predicted a cost: hyenas with higher concentrations had shorter adult lifespans.<\/p>\n
"These trade-offs have been well-documented in wild mammals, but never have juvenile IGF-1 concentrations been shown to predict them," said Nora Lewin, graduate student and lead author of the Functional Ecology<\/em> study. "Our study highlights the importance of early postnatal development as a determination period in mammals, and suggests that circulating IGF-1 concentrations measured during the first year of life can be used to predict later-life traits in animals that live up to 24 years in the wild." <\/p>\n ###<\/p>\n