Oxidative stress is usually defined as an imbalance arising when the rate of production of
reactive oxygen species (ROS) exceeds the capacity of the antioxidant defence and repair …

The massive number of seabirds (penguins and procellariiformes) and marine mammals
(cetaceans and pinnipeds)–referred to here as top predators–is one of the most iconic …

Recent ecological studies have shown that oxidative status could have a significant impact
on fitness components in wild animals. Not only can oxidative status reflect the …

One of the reasons for animals not to grow as fast as they potentially could is that fast growth
has been shown to be associated with reduced lifespan. However, we are still lacking a …

We studied the impact of hibernation and food supply on relative telomere length (RTL), an
indicator for aging and somatic maintenance, in free-living edible dormice. Small hibernators …

Life‐history theory predicts that high reproductive investment alters self‐maintenance.
Several mechanisms underlying the cost of reproduction have been previously suggested …

Costs of reproduction can be divided in mandatory costs coming from physiological,
metabolic, and anatomical changes required to sustain reproduction itself, and in investment …

Highlights•Self-medication may occur in suboptimal physiological states influencing
fitness.•Dietary antioxidants may be used to alleviate oxidative stress.•Self-medication may …

Urban areas are usually places with increased pollution, abundant parasite communities
and other factors that can increase physiological stress affecting negatively the individual …

Conditions experienced during development and growth are of crucial importance as they
can have a significant influence on the optimisation of life histories. Indeed, the ability of an …