Variance component and parameter estimates.

<p>Variance component and parameter estimates.</p

DNA integrity gels.

<p>(A) Illustrative DNA Integrity gels with gel scores. Example integrity gels for (B) Holstein Friesian cattle and (C) Soay sheep. Individual samples (represented by numbers in image) that were extracted with different DNA extraction protocols. (PG: Gentra Puregene kit, SC: DNeasy spin columns, SP: DNeasy 96 well plate; GS: calibrator DNA (“golden sample”).</p

Raw RTL and Cq values.

<p>RTL or Cq values by DNA extraction method and qPCR plate for cattle (A-E) and sheep (F-I). RTL calculated with method specific (MS) calibrator (A + F), Puregene (PG) calibrator (B), no calibrator (C+G). Cq values for telomere reaction (D+H) and control gene <i>B2M</i> (E+I). Colours represent DNA extraction methods. White: Gentra Puregene, blue: DNeasy spin columns, orange: DNeasy 96 well plate.</p

Correlations between methods.

<p>Correlations between RTL measurements from different DNA extraction methods (PG: Gentra Puregene kit; SC: DNeasy spin columns; SP: DNeasy 96 well plate): Cattle, method-specific calibrator (A); Cattle, Puregene calibrator (B); Cattle, no calibrator (C); Sheep, method-specific calibrator (D); Sheep, no calibrator (E). Regression lines and their 95% confidence interval are shown in blue and grey, respectively, with red lines reflecting a hypothetically perfect correspondence (slope of one, intercept of zero).</p

Heritability estimate of RLTL by month of age; standard errors in dotted lines (SE = 0.045–0.078).

<p>Heritability estimate of RLTL by month of age; standard errors in dotted lines (SE = 0.045–0.078).</p

Individual RLTL profiles (grey) and five cluster curves.

<p>Of all animals 31% shortened their RLTL slightly in early life (red curve), 30% maintained their RLTL over life (green curve), 22% showed mild elongation in early life (blue curve), 12% more obvious elongation (pink curve) and 4% more obvious telomere attrition (cyan curve).</p

Genetic correlation of RLTL measurements at birth with measurements in later life.

<p>standard errors in dotted lines (maximal SE = 0.087).</p

Fixed curve of logarithmically transformed relative leukocyte telomere (RLTL) data.

<p>Blue line: quadratic Legendre polynomial function of age; black solid line: phenotypic RLTL measurements for each month.</p

Survival probability of different RLTL profile cluster groups.

<p>Colours correspond to colours in <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0192864#pone.0192864.g005" target="_blank">Fig 5</a>.</p