Abstract
The complexity of the physiological phenotype currently prevents us from identifying an integrative measure to assess how the internal state and environmental conditions modify life-history strategies. We propose that shorter telomeres should lead to a faster pace-of-life where investment in self-maintenance is decreased as a means of saving energy for reproduction, but at the cost of somatic durability. Inversely, longer telomeres would favor an increased investment in soma maintenance and thus a longer reproductive lifespan (i.e. slower pace-of-life). Under our hypothesis, telomere dynamics could be such an integrative mediator, which would assemble the information about oxidative stress levels, inflammation status and stress reactivity, and relate this information to the potential lifespan of the organism and its pace-of-life strategy. The signaling function of telomere dynamics could also reach over generations, a phenomenon in which the telomere lengths of gametes would provide a channel through which offspring would receive information about their environment early in their development, hence increasing the possibilities for developmental plasticity.