Early-life reproduction predicts male lifespan in turquoise killifish (Nothobranchius furzeri)

Cattelan, S.; Valenzano, D. R.

doi:10.1101/2025.09.27.678976

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bioRxiv · 10.1101/2025.09.27.678976

Early-life reproduction predicts male lifespan in turquoise killifish (Nothobranchius furzeri)

Cattelan, S.·Valenzano, D. R.

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Abstract

Individuals of the same species often display extensive lifespan heterogeneity. However, the factors underlying such heterogeneity remain largely elusive. Here, we examined whether lifespan variation in the naturally short-lived turquoise killifish (Nothobranchius furzeri) is caused by reproductive trade-offs. We found that lifespan and reproduction do not trade off: early-life reproductive success positively predicts male lifespan and reflects intrinsic quality. A causal-informed model, where intrinsic quality affects both survival and reproduction, fully recapitulates the empirical data. Together, our results show inter-individual variation in intrinsic quality explains lifespan heterogeneity in a short-lived vertebrate, challenging the view that reproductive costs drive inter-individual lifespan variation.

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Cattelan, S., Valenzano, D. R.. 2025-09-28. Early-life reproduction predicts male lifespan in turquoise killifish (Nothobranchius furzeri). https://doi.org/10.1101/2025.09.27.678976

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