Discovery Projects - Grant ID: DP210100328

衰老，社会性和性。随着个人年龄的增长，他们的身体功能和生存前景都会下降。尽管社会环境被认为是很重要的，但为什么有些人在晚年恶化得更慢，这是一个我们无法充分回答的关键问题。利用最近建立的衰老分子生物标志物，该项目旨在实验研究野生鸟类在缺乏社会支持或面临性竞争时，与年龄相关的衰退是否更快。预期的结果是深入了解延迟衰老和延长寿命的关键决定因素。潜在的好处包括提高对健康老龄化驱动因素的理解，提高预测种群持久性和确定保护重点的能力。

Senescence, sociality and sex. As individuals age, their body functions and survival prospects decline. Why some individuals deteriorate slower and later in life, is a critical question we cannot adequately answer, although the social environment has been suggested to be important. Using a recently established molecular biomarker of aging, this project aims to experimentally investigate in a wild bird if age-related decline is faster when individuals lack social support or face sexual competition. Expected outcomes are insights into key determinants of delayed aging and longer lifespan. Potential benefits include improved understanding of drivers of healthy aging, and improved ability to predict population persistence and identify conservation priorities.