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...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Frontiers Media S.A.
2021-11-01
|
| Series: | Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fevo.2021.617376/full |
| _version_ | 1818402682957725696 |
|---|---|
| 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 |
| collection | DOAJ |
| 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. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-14T08:12:15Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-64c3db9bddd84017b2dd889a6ac6467d |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2296-701X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-14T08:12:15Z |
| publishDate | 2021-11-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution |
| spelling | doaj.art-64c3db9bddd84017b2dd889a6ac6467d2022-12-21T23:10:02ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution2296-701X2021-11-01910.3389/fevo.2021.617376617376Epigenetic Measurement of Key Vertebrate Population Biology ParametersMatthew J. Heydenrych0Benjamin J. Saunders1Michael Bunce2Michael Bunce3Simon N. Jarman4TrEnD Laboratory, School of Molecular and Life Science, Curtin University, Bentley, WA, AustraliaFish Ecology Laboratory, School of Molecular and Life Science, Curtin University, Bentley, WA, AustraliaTrEnD Laboratory, School of Molecular and Life Science, Curtin University, Bentley, WA, AustraliaNew Zealand Environmental Protection Authority, Wellington Central, Wellington, New ZealandSchool of Biological Sciences and UWA Oceans Institute, University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA, AustraliaThe 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.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fevo.2021.617376/fullpopulation biologysexual maturitysex determinationepigeneticsDNA methylationage estimation |
| spellingShingle | Matthew J. Heydenrych Benjamin J. Saunders Michael Bunce Michael Bunce Simon N. Jarman Epigenetic Measurement of Key Vertebrate Population Biology Parameters Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution population biology sexual maturity sex determination epigenetics DNA methylation age estimation |
| title | 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_short | Epigenetic Measurement of Key Vertebrate Population Biology Parameters |
| title_sort | epigenetic measurement of key vertebrate population biology parameters |
| topic | population biology sexual maturity sex determination epigenetics DNA methylation age estimation |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fevo.2021.617376/full |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT matthewjheydenrych epigeneticmeasurementofkeyvertebratepopulationbiologyparameters AT benjaminjsaunders epigeneticmeasurementofkeyvertebratepopulationbiologyparameters AT michaelbunce epigeneticmeasurementofkeyvertebratepopulationbiologyparameters AT michaelbunce epigeneticmeasurementofkeyvertebratepopulationbiologyparameters AT simonnjarman epigeneticmeasurementofkeyvertebratepopulationbiologyparameters |