Cell-Mediated Immune Ontogeny Is Affected by Sex but Not Environmental Context in a Long-Lived Primate Species

Ecoimmunology conceptualizes the role of immunity in shaping life history a natural context. Within ecoimmunology, macroimmunology is framework that explains effects habitat and spatial differences on variation immune phenotypes across populations. these frameworks, ontogeny—the development system an individual span—has received little attention. Here, we investigated how ontogeny from birth until adulthood affected by age, sex, developmental environment long-lived primate species, bonobo. We found progressive, significant decline urinary neopterin levels, marker for cell-mediated response, 5 years age both sexes. The overall pattern age-related changes was sex-specific, with males having higher levels than females first 3 life, between 6 8 years. Environmental condition (zoo-housed vs. wild) did not influence nor differ environments. Our data suggest post-natal sex-specific but does show plasticity response to environmental conditions this species. This indicates bonobo follows stereotypic maybe genetically determined pathogen exposure energy availability, sex important, yet often overlooked factor patterns ontogeny. Investigating causes consequences throughout critical our understanding life-history evolution strategies, mechanisms sexual selection, population dynamics respect susceptibility. A general description as done here crucial step direction, particularly when it considered context species’ ecology evolutionary history.