Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Alexandra M. Sparks, Lewis G. Spurgin, Marco van der Velde, Eleanor A. Fairfield, Jan Komdeur, Terry Burke, David S. Richardson, Hannah L. Dugdale
Summary: Individual variation in telomere length is predictive of health and mortality risk. The relative influence of environmental and genetic variation on individual telomere length in wild populations remains poorly understood. Parental age at conception may influence offspring telomere length, and heritability and evolvability of telomere length were found to be low in the studied population.
Article
Ecology
Sara Raj Pant, Maaike A. Versteegh, Martijn Hammers, Terry Burke, Hannah L. Dugdale, David S. Richardson, Jan Komdeur
Summary: This study analyzed the reproductive data of Seychelles warblers and found that although extra-pair paternity (EPP) may not have a significant effect on the opportunity for selection compared to genetic monogamy, it still contributes significantly to the lifetime and age-specific opportunity for selection.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Ziva Alif, Jamie Dunning, Heung Ying Janet Chik, Terry Burke, Julia Schroeder
Summary: Fitness is difficult to accurately measure in evolutionary theory. Short-term fitness metrics, such as the number of offspring produced, are commonly used as proxies in wild study systems. This study compared different short-term fitness metrics obtained at different offspring life stages and found that they best predicted long-term fitness when measured at the recruit stage.
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Mirjam J. Borger, David S. Richardson, Hannah Dugdale, Terry Burke, Jan Komdeur
Summary: Species are facing challenges from rapidly changing environments, such as increased frequency of extreme weather events. While natural selection acts slowly, organisms may use mechanisms like cooperative breeding to cope with rapid change. However, our study on the Seychelles warbler found that low rainfall was associated with reduced reproductive output, but cooperative breeding did not seem to buffer against harsh environments. This highlights the importance of considering the interaction between environment and life histories when studying species survival.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Claudia A. Martin, Eleanor C. Sheppard, Juan Carlos Illera, Alexander Suh, Krystyna Nadachowska-Brzyska, Lewis G. Spurgin, David S. Richardson
Summary: Genomes contain evidence of demographic history and evolutionary forces that shape populations and drive speciation. The study investigated the diversity of the Berthelot's pipit populations and found that the most significant reduction in diversity occurred between the mainland sister species and Berthelot's pipit. The study also revealed the impact of colonization events and bottleneck effects on the populations. Rating: 8/10
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Mirjam J. Borger, Jan Komdeur, David S. Richardson, Franz J. Weissing
Summary: Quantifying fitness is crucial for understanding adaptive evolution. Reproductive values are valuable for comparing the fitness of different categories of individuals, such as males and females. Estimating reproductive values traditionally requires modeling and complex calculations, but a pedigree-based method has gained popularity recently. However, our simulations show that this method is not accurate or precise in estimating reproductive values.
BEHAVIORAL ECOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Walter D. Koenig, Sahas Barve, Joseph Haydock, Hannah L. Dugdale, Madan K. Oli, Eric L. Walters
Summary: Although 50 years have passed, Hamilton's theory of kin selection still holds true, showing that co-breeding, compared to solitary breeding, can increase the indirect fitness effect, especially for males. However, for females, the presence of age-weighted fitness will influence the effectiveness of co-breeding.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2023)
Article
Biology
Euan A. A. Young, Ellie Chesterton, Virpi Lummaa, Erik Postma, Hannah L. L. Dugdale
Summary: A study found that an individual's reproductive success can not only predict its genetic contributions to the next generation, but also has value in predicting genetic contributions over longer periods. The study also revealed that reproductive success is a better predictor of individual genetic contributions than other fitness proxies and lifespan.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Walter D. Koenig, Joseph Haydock, Hannah L. Dugdale, Eric L. Walters
Summary: This study examines the differences in life history and fitness consequences of inheriting or dispersing to attain breeder status in acorn woodpeckers. The results show that there are no statistical differences in direct or kin-selected fitness benefits between inheritors and dispersers, despite significant differences in life history. However, ecological constraints to dispersal and kin-selected fitness benefits as a helper likely play larger roles in driving the acorn woodpecker's social system.
Article
Ecology
Michael D. Pointer, Lewis G. Spurgin, Matthew J. G. Gage, Mark McMullan, David S. Richardson
Summary: This study investigates the genetic architecture of dispersal behavior in Tribolium castaneum, a post-harvest pest. The researchers demonstrate rapid evolution of dispersal behavior and find no evidence of sex-biases in the trait. The results suggest an oligogenic architecture underlying dispersal in T. castaneum, which has implications for pest management and understanding the evolution of dispersal in beetles.
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Marianthi Tangili, Annabel J. Slettenhaar, Joanna Sudyka, Hannah L. Dugdale, Ido Pen, Per J. Palsboll, Simon Verhulst
Summary: Inferring the age of individuals is crucial for population ecology and understanding ageing. Epigenetic clocks based on DNA methylation show strong correlation with chronological age in humans. Recently, more epigenetic clocks have been developed in non-model animals. The performance of these clocks is influenced by experimental protocols, with MAD being a better indicator of accuracy.
Article
Biology
Kiran G. L. Lee, Adele Mennerat, Dieter Lukas, Hannah L. Dugdale, Antica Culina
Summary: Using research productivity measures for academic performance assessment disadvantages women due to gender roles and unconscious biases in both home and academia. The impact of COVID-19 on research productivity has been studied through surveys and article counts. This study combines 55 research studies and finds that the gender gap in research productivity increased during the pandemic, with the largest changes observed in social sciences and medicine.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Thomas J. Brown, Max Hellicar, Wilna Accouche, Jildou van der Woude, Hannah L. Dugdale, Jan Komdeur, David S. Richardson
Summary: Invasive predators pose a significant threat to native populations, and the impact of invasive predatory birds has often been overlooked. This study highlights the sex-specific impact of the invasive common myna on a reintroduced population of Seychelles warblers. The common mynas caused severe injuries to female warblers, leading to a male-biased population sex-ratio and slower population growth. However, after the eradication of common mynas, the sex-ratio balanced out and population growth accelerated. This research emphasizes the importance of assessing the threat posed by all invasive taxa and the need for extended monitoring to identify and solve problems post-translocation.
GLOBAL ECOLOGY AND CONSERVATION
(2023)