Breeders that receive help age more slowly in a cooperatively breeding bird

摘要: Helping by group members is predicted to lead delayed senescence affecting the trade-off between current reproduction and future survival for dominant breeders. Here we investigate this prediction in Seychelles warbler, Acrocephalus sechellensis, which mainly female subordinate helpers (both co-breeders non-breeding helpers) often help dominants raise offspring. We find that late-life decline usually observed species greatly reduced when a helper present. Female with show telomere attrition, measure reflects biological ageing other species. Finally, probability of having female, but not male, increases age. Our results suggest key benefit cooperative breeding elderly support idea sociality are positively self-reinforcing. Such an effect may explain why social have longer lifespans.