Sex-specific aging: sex differences in survival and health in a wild primate population

• Antragstellerin: Dr. Cornelia Kraus
• Fachliche Zuordnung: Evolution, Anthropologie
• Förderung: Förderung von 2010 bis 2015
• Projektkennung: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Projektnummer 168818331

The motivating problem behind this project is the apparent paradox that humans face in survival and health. Despite their seemingly better health, especially at older ages, men suffer a survival disadvantage throughout life. Some evidence suggests that this paradox might have close parallels in other mammals. Sex-specific selection pressures may have led to sex-specific strategies in the allocation of resources to different components of health. To evaluate this idea, we will investigate sex differences in demographic and physiological aging in a wild primate population. The grey mouse lemur, Microcebus murinus, is a well established laboratory model in aging research and its rather short life span (for a primate) allows cross-sectional as well as longitudinal studies. We will estimate sex differences in age-specific survival and quantify the contribution of sex-specific behaviours. In addition, we will test the hypothesis that females exhibit greater immunocompetence, but males retain higher functioning over the lifespan. To this end, we will construct age-trajectories of parasite load, a likely correlate of immunocompetence, and functioning for both sexes. Apart from shedding light on a putative mechanism behind the health-survival paradox, this study will also provide rare information on aging in a wild primate.

• DFG-Verfahren: Sachbeihilfen