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Researchers developed epigenetic clocks to estimate the chronological age of mule deer and other Odocoileus species by analyzing DNA methylation patterns. The mule deer-specific clock achieved high accuracy (correlation approximately 0.9, mean absolute error around 5% of lifespan), while a multi-species clock showed lower but still useful performance. The study revealed nonlinear patterns of age-associated DNA methylation changes across the mule deer lifespan and identified limitations in using cross-sectional clocks for tracking short-term individual aging.
Why it matters
This work provides wildlife managers with a molecular tool for accurately determining deer ages, which is essential for population management and conservation decisions. The identification of age-associated genetic markers could enable development of cheaper, more scalable field tests for age estimation in one of the most intensively managed wildlife groups worldwide.
⚠️ Preprint – Noch nicht peer-reviewed
Dieser Artikel wurde noch nicht von unabhängigen Experten begutachtet. Die Ergebnisse sind vorläufig und sollten mit Vorsicht interpretiert werden.
Population age structure has important consequences for population dynamics and is a key parameter for wildlife demography and management. Epigenetic clocks have emerged as accurate molecular tools for estimating chronological age. Ungulates are among the most intensively managed wildlife worldwide, yet epigenetic clocks have been developed for only two cervid species. Here, we develop a novel epigenetic clock for mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) and a multi-species clock for the Odocoileus genus, and use them to investigate variation in age-associated DNA methylation across the mule deer lifespan. The mule deer clock achieved accuracy comparable to recently developed mammalian epigenetic clocks (r {approx} 0.9; MAE {approx} 5% of species lifespan). The multi-species Odocoileus clock showed lower predictive performance (r = 0.72; MAE = 0.782 years), but its broader taxonomic applicability may be particularly valuable where Odocoileus species occur sympatrically and hybridize. Cross-sectional epigenetic age estimates supported nonlinear age-associated methylation dynamics across the mule deer lifespan, whereas longitudinal changes in epigenetic age indicated that clocks optimized for cross-sectional age estimation may lack sufficient resolution to quantify short-term within-individual changes. Overall, our results highlight the value of integrating clock-level, CpG-level, and longitudinal analyses to investigate aging in wild populations. We also identify strongly age-associated loci that provide candidates for developing targeted, scalable, and lower-cost assays.
Source: Epigenetic clocks and nonlinear aging in Odocoileus deer