Epigenetic Measurement of Key Vertebrate Population Biology Parameters

The age, sex, and sexual maturity of individual animals are key parameters in assessing wild populations and informing conservation management strategies. These parameters represent the reproductive potential of a population and can indicate recovery rates or vulnerabilities. Natural populations of...

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Autores principales:	Matthew J. Heydenrych, Benjamin J. Saunders, Michael Bunce, Simon N. Jarman
Formato:	article
Lenguaje:	EN
Publicado:	Frontiers Media S.A. 2021
Materias:	population biology sexual maturity sex determination epigenetics DNA methylation age estimation Evolution QH359-425 Ecology QH540-549.5
Acceso en línea:	https://doaj.org/article/64c3db9bddd84017b2dd889a6ac6467d
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spelling	oai:doaj.org-article:64c3db9bddd84017b2dd889a6ac6467d2021-11-19T06:50:36ZEpigenetic Measurement of Key Vertebrate Population Biology Parameters2296-701X10.3389/fevo.2021.617376https://doaj.org/article/64c3db9bddd84017b2dd889a6ac6467d2021-11-01T00:00:00Zhttps://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fevo.2021.617376/fullhttps://doaj.org/toc/2296-701XThe age, sex, and sexual maturity of individual animals are key parameters in assessing wild populations and informing conservation management strategies. These parameters represent the reproductive potential of a population and can indicate recovery rates or vulnerabilities. Natural populations of wild animals are difficult to study; logistically, economically, and due to the impacts of invasive biomonitoring. Genetic and epigenetic analyses offer a low impact, low cost, and information-rich alternative. As epigenetic mechanisms are intrinsically linked with both biological aging and reproductive processes, DNA methylation can be used as a suitable biomarker for population biology study. This review assesses published research utilizing DNA methylation analysis in relation to three key population parameters: age, sex, and sexual maturity. We review studies on wild vertebrates that investigate epigenetic age relationships, with successful age estimation assays designed for mammals, birds, and fish. For both determination of sex and identification of sexual maturity, very little has been explored regarding DNA methylation-based assays. Related research, however, confirms the links between DNA methylation and these processes. Future development of age estimation assays for underrepresented and key conservation taxa is suggested, as is the experimental development and design of DNA methylation-based assays for both sex and sexual maturity identification, further expanding the genomics toolkit for population biology studies.Matthew J. HeydenrychBenjamin J. SaundersMichael BunceMichael BunceSimon N. JarmanFrontiers Media S.A.articlepopulation biologysexual maturitysex determinationepigeneticsDNA methylationage estimationEvolutionQH359-425EcologyQH540-549.5ENFrontiers in Ecology and Evolution, Vol 9 (2021)
institution	DOAJ
collection	DOAJ
language	EN
topic	population biology sexual maturity sex determination epigenetics DNA methylation age estimation Evolution QH359-425 Ecology QH540-549.5
spellingShingle	population biology sexual maturity sex determination epigenetics DNA methylation age estimation Evolution QH359-425 Ecology QH540-549.5 Matthew J. Heydenrych Benjamin J. Saunders Michael Bunce Michael Bunce Simon N. Jarman Epigenetic Measurement of Key Vertebrate Population Biology Parameters
description	The age, sex, and sexual maturity of individual animals are key parameters in assessing wild populations and informing conservation management strategies. These parameters represent the reproductive potential of a population and can indicate recovery rates or vulnerabilities. Natural populations of wild animals are difficult to study; logistically, economically, and due to the impacts of invasive biomonitoring. Genetic and epigenetic analyses offer a low impact, low cost, and information-rich alternative. As epigenetic mechanisms are intrinsically linked with both biological aging and reproductive processes, DNA methylation can be used as a suitable biomarker for population biology study. This review assesses published research utilizing DNA methylation analysis in relation to three key population parameters: age, sex, and sexual maturity. We review studies on wild vertebrates that investigate epigenetic age relationships, with successful age estimation assays designed for mammals, birds, and fish. For both determination of sex and identification of sexual maturity, very little has been explored regarding DNA methylation-based assays. Related research, however, confirms the links between DNA methylation and these processes. Future development of age estimation assays for underrepresented and key conservation taxa is suggested, as is the experimental development and design of DNA methylation-based assays for both sex and sexual maturity identification, further expanding the genomics toolkit for population biology studies.
format	article
author	Matthew J. Heydenrych Benjamin J. Saunders Michael Bunce Michael Bunce Simon N. Jarman
author_facet	Matthew J. Heydenrych Benjamin J. Saunders Michael Bunce Michael Bunce Simon N. Jarman
author_sort	Matthew J. Heydenrych
title	Epigenetic Measurement of Key Vertebrate Population Biology Parameters
title_short	Epigenetic Measurement of Key Vertebrate Population Biology Parameters
title_full	Epigenetic Measurement of Key Vertebrate Population Biology Parameters
title_fullStr	Epigenetic Measurement of Key Vertebrate Population Biology Parameters
title_full_unstemmed	Epigenetic Measurement of Key Vertebrate Population Biology Parameters
title_sort	epigenetic measurement of key vertebrate population biology parameters
publisher	Frontiers Media S.A.
publishDate	2021
url	https://doaj.org/article/64c3db9bddd84017b2dd889a6ac6467d
work_keys_str_mv	AT matthewjheydenrych epigeneticmeasurementofkeyvertebratepopulationbiologyparameters AT benjaminjsaunders epigeneticmeasurementofkeyvertebratepopulationbiologyparameters AT michaelbunce epigeneticmeasurementofkeyvertebratepopulationbiologyparameters AT michaelbunce epigeneticmeasurementofkeyvertebratepopulationbiologyparameters AT simonnjarman epigeneticmeasurementofkeyvertebratepopulationbiologyparameters
_version_	1718420315522990080

Epigenetic Measurement of Key Vertebrate Population Biology Parameters

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