Defying Expectations: Extended Lifespan and Age‐Related Telomere Dynamics in the Tropical Bat Species, Molossus molossus

ABSTRACT

Telomeres are key biomarkers of cellular ageing, yet their dynamics remain poorly studied in tropical and short‐lived bat species. Here, we present the first investigation of telomere length across age in Molossus molossus , a tropical bat historically categorised as the shortest‐lived bat on record. Through a multi‐year mark‐recapture study in Gamboa, Panama, we sampled 492 individuals ( n  = 317 females, 175 males) and documented a female M. molossus surviving to at least 13 years of age, more than doubling the previously reported maximum lifespan of 5.6 years. Relative telomere length (rTL) showed a negative association with age, although this association was not retained in sensitivity analyses. Males consistently exhibited longer telomeres than females in both robust and age‐matched analyses, while there was no evidence that age‐related telomere dynamics differed between the sexes. Overall, these findings challenge previous assumptions about the lifespan and ageing biology of M. molossus . They reveal a difference between the sexes in mean telomere length and reinforce the value of long‐term field studies for understanding ageing processes in the wild.