Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41807451›Full record

ArticleNature communications2026

Lifestyle change accelerates epigenetic ageing in King penguins.

Robin Cristofari, Leyla R Davis, Gaël Bardon, Flávia A Nitta Fernandes, Maria Elena Figueroa, Sören Franzenburg, Michel Gauthier-Clerc, Francesco Grande, Richard Heidrich, Mikaela Hukkanen and 9 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Nature communications, 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

19 authors.

Robin CristofariInstitute of Biotechnology, HiLIFE, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland. robin.cristofari@helsinki.fi.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-8430-7453
Leyla R DavisZoo Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland.
Gaël BardonCentre Scientifique de Monaco, Monaco, Monaco.
Flávia A Nitta FernandesInstitute of Biotechnology, HiLIFE, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
Maria Elena FigueroaLoro Parque, Tenerife, Spain.
Sören FranzenburgCompetence Centre for Genome Analysis, Kiel, Germany.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-6374-4910
Michel Gauthier-ClercUniversity of Geneva, Faculty of Sciences, Geneva, Switzerland.
Francesco GrandeLoro Parque, Tenerife, Spain.
Richard HeidrichLoro Parque, Tenerife, Spain.
Mikaela HukkanenInstitute for Molecular Medicine Finland, HiLIFE, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-8574-8274
Yvon Le MahoUniversité de Strasbourg, CNRS, IPHC UMR 7178, Strasbourg, France.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-7547-5540
Miina OllikainenInstitute for Molecular Medicine Finland, HiLIFE, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-3661-7400
Elodie PacielloUniversité de Strasbourg, CNRS, IPHC UMR 7178, Strasbourg, France.
Patrick RampalCentre Scientifique de Monaco, Monaco, Monaco.
Nils C StensethCentre for Ecological and Evolutionary Synthesis (CEES), Department of Biosciences, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-1591-5399
Emiliano TrucchiDepartment of Life and Environmental Sciences, Marche Polytechnic University, Ancona, Italy.
Sandrine ZahnUniversité de Strasbourg, CNRS, IPHC UMR 7178, Strasbourg, France.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-9303-4223
Céline Le Bohec *Centre Scientifique de Monaco, Monaco, Monaco.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-0149-6477
Britta S Meyer *Research Unit for Evolutionary Immunogenomics, Department of Biology, University of Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2549-1825

Funding

Academy of Finland (Suomen Akatemia) 331320Academy of Finland (Suomen Akatemia) 354649Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (German Research Foundation) 423957469
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

A growing body of evidence supports the role of nutrient sensing and metabolism pathways in regulating ageing rate and healthspan, but the diversity of human lifestyles challenges our ability to identify the mechanisms of this age acceleration. Here, we examine how the transition of wild King penguins to zoo husbandry can closely mimic the shift to a Western lifestyle in humans, and shed light on conserved epigenetic changes in responses to sedentary conditions. We show that, just like modern humans, zoo-housed male King penguins experience an extended lifespan, but this comes at the cost of accelerated epigenetic ageing throughout life. This accelerated ageing is associated with differential methylation in key growth and maintenance pathways, including the mTOR and PI3K/Akt networks. Our results demonstrate the conserved link between lifestyle and age acceleration. Such evolutionary evidence may help us to improve risk detection and, ultimately, therapeutics for lifestyle-induced age acceleration in humans.

Indexed as

AgingEpigenesis, GeneticLife StyleSpheniscidaeAnimalsDNA MethylationLongevityMaleTOR Serine-Threonine KinasesTOR Serine-Threonine Kinases

Identifiers

PMID41807451
PMCPMC13111634

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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.