Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41756354›Full record

ArticleConservation physiology2026

Methods for analysing wildlife DNA methylation data.

Theoni Photopoulou, Ian Durbach, Enrico Pirotta, Ashley Barratclough, Lori H Schwacke, Ryan Takeshita, Gina K Himes Boor, Catriona M Harris, Peter L Tyack, Len Thomas

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Conservation physiology, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors.

Theoni PhotopoulouCentre for Research into Ecological and Environmental Modelling, University of St Andrews, The Observatory, Buchanan Gardens, St Andrews, Scotland KY16 9LZ, UK.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9616-9940
Ian DurbachCentre for Research into Ecological and Environmental Modelling, University of St Andrews, The Observatory, Buchanan Gardens, St Andrews, Scotland KY16 9LZ, UK.
Enrico PirottaCentre for Research into Ecological and Environmental Modelling, University of St Andrews, The Observatory, Buchanan Gardens, St Andrews, Scotland KY16 9LZ, UK.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3541-3676
Ashley BarratcloughNational Marine Mammal Foundation, 2240 Shelter Island Drive, Suite 200, San Diego, CA 92106, USA.
Lori H SchwackeMarine Mammal Commission, 4340 East-West Highway, Suite 700, Bethesda, MD 20814, USA.
Ryan TakeshitaNational Marine Mammal Foundation, 2240 Shelter Island Drive, Suite 200, San Diego, CA 92106, USA.
Gina K Himes BoorNational Marine Mammal Foundation, 2240 Shelter Island Drive, Suite 200, San Diego, CA 92106, USA.
Catriona M HarrisCentre for Research into Ecological and Environmental Modelling, University of St Andrews, The Observatory, Buchanan Gardens, St Andrews, Scotland KY16 9LZ, UK.
Peter L TyackSea Mammal Research Unit, Scottish Oceans Institute, School of Biology, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, Scotland KY16 8LB, UK.
Len ThomasCentre for Research into Ecological and Environmental Modelling, University of St Andrews, The Observatory, Buchanan Gardens, St Andrews, Scotland KY16 9LZ, UK.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7436-067X

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

The analysis of DNA methylation data for wildlife conservation is gaining momentum as the technology for quantifying the methylome becomes mainstream. The use of epigenetic information extracted from tissue samples can be used for estimating chronological age, individual traits and phenotypic variation. Methylation data present an exciting opportunity to study wildlife populations, with the potential to provide insights into age structure, vital rates and health. However, the statistical methodology for answering the emerging research questions has been developed and mostly applied in the human biomedical setting. We review the key methodologies commonly used in wildlife settings, and methods that have been used only in human studies so far that could improve our understanding of wildlife epigenomic changes. We show how the different methods relate to each other and how they link to research questions, illustrating each approach with data from a case study, a large dataset from wild bottlenose dolphins (

Indexed as

chronological ageDNA methylationepigenetic agehealthmethylation arraywildlife

Identifiers

PMID41756354
PMCPMC12935468

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.