Replicative senescence, induced by telomere shortening, exhibits considerable
asynchrony and heterogeneity, the origins of which remain unclear. Here, we
formally study how telomere shortening mechanisms impact on senescence kinetics
and define two regimes of senescence, depending on the initial telomere length
variance. We provide analytical solutions to the model, highlighting a
non-linear relationship between senescence onset and initial telomere length
distribution. This study reveals the complexity of the collective behavior of
telomeres as they shorten, leading to senescence heterogeneity