Studies on human telomeres have established that telomeres exert a significant influence on lifespan and health of organisms. However, recent research has indicated that the original idea that telomeres affect lifespan in a universal and central manner across all eukaryotic species is an oversimplification. Indeed, findings from a variety of animal species revealed that the role of telomere biology in aging is more subtle and intricate than previously recognized. Here, we show how telomere biology varies depending on the taxon. We also show how telomere biology corresponds to basic life history traits and affects the life table of a species and investments in growth, body size, reproduction, and lifespan; telomeres are hypothesized to shape evolutionary perspectives for species in an active but complex manner. Our evaluation is based on telomere biology data from many examples from throughout the animal kingdom that vary according to the degree of organismal complexity and life history strategies.

Department of Cell Biology and Radiobiology Institute of Biophysics of the Czech Academy of Sciences Královopolská 135 612 00 Brno Czech Republic

Faculty of Science University of South Bohemia Branišovská 1760 370 05 Ceske Budejovice Czech Republic

Institute of Entomology Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences Branišovská 31 370 05 Ceske Budejovice Czech Republic

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