In vertebrates, offspring survival often decreases with increasing maternal age. While many studies have reported a decline in fitness-related traits of offspring with increasing maternal age, the study of senescence in maternal effect through age-specific changes in offspring physiological condition is still at its infancy. We assessed the influence of maternal age and body mass on offspring physiological condition in two populations of roe deer (Capreolus capreolus) subjected to markedly different environmental conditions. We measured seven markers to index body condition and characterize the immune profile in 86 fawns which became recently independent of their known-aged mothers. We did not find striking effects of maternal age on offspring physiological condition measured at 8 months of age. This absence of evidence for senescence in maternal effects is likely due to the strong viability selection observed in the very first months of life in this species. Offspring physiological condition was, on the other hand, positively influenced by maternal body mass. Between-population differences in environmental conditions experienced by fawns also influenced their average body condition and immune phenotype. Fawns facing food limitation displayed lower values in some markers of body condition (body mass and haemoglobin levels) than those living in good quality habitat. They also allocated preferentially to humoral immunity, contrary to those living in good conditions, which allocated more to cellular response. These results shed a new light on the eco-physiological pathways mediating the relationship between mother's mass and offspring condition.

中文翻译：

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母体效应影响后代的生理状况，但在野生哺乳动物中不会衰老。

在脊椎动物中，后代的存活率通常随着产妇年龄的增加而降低。虽然许多研究报告说，随着产妇年龄的增长，后代的健身相关性状会下降，但通过对子代生理状况进行特定年龄变化的孕育作用的衰老研究仍处于起步阶段。我们评估了两个年龄段的environmental在不同环境条件下的产妇年龄和体重对后代生理状况的影响。我们测量了七个标志物以指示身体状况并表征86只小鹿的免疫特征，这些小鹿最近独立于它们的已知年龄的母亲。我们没有发现产妇年龄对8个月大时后代生理状况的显着影响。由于该物种在生命的最初几个月中观察到了强大的生存力选择，因此缺乏母体作用衰老的证据。另一方面，后代的生理状况受到母亲体重的积极影响。小鹿在不同环境条件下的种群间差异也影响了它们的平均身体状况和免疫表型。面临食物限制的小鹿在某些身体状况指标（体重和血红蛋白水平）上的价值低于生活在优质生境中的那些。他们还优先分配了体液免疫，与那些生活条件良好的人相反，后者更多地分配给了细胞应答。这些结果为介导母亲与母亲之间关系的生态生理途径提供了新的思路。