Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Amalia Segura, Roberto C. Rodriguez-Caro, Eva Gracia, Pelayo Acevedo
Summary: Using the spur-thighed tortoise as a case study, our research highlights the significant impact of maternal age and climatic conditions on population dynamics, emphasizing the necessity for long-term studies to design appropriate conservation strategies.
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
Jessica A. Haines, David M. Delaney, Andrea E. Wishart, Andrew G. McAdam, David W. Coltman, Jeffrey E. Lane, Ben Dantzer, Stan Boutin
Summary: Reproduction is energetically expensive for both sexes, and if males and females have different timing of reproduction, there is an opportunity for sex-specific selection to act on energetic resource acquisition. In North American red squirrels, males have larger caches than females, and this is likely driven by a stronger positive connection between cache size and fitness components for males. Males with larger caches have greater siring success, while females with larger caches only experience a positive effect on the number of recruits produced if they breed early. Additionally, males and females with larger caches sire pups and give birth earlier. These findings demonstrate that sexual selection extends beyond mating behavior traits and can act on traits related to acquiring resources needed for reproduction.
BEHAVIORAL ECOLOGY AND SOCIOBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Michio Yoneda, Hajime Kitano, Mitsuo Nyuji, Masahiro Nakamura, Masanori Takahashi, Atsushi Kawabata, Michiya Matsuyama, Akio Shimizu, Tatsuo Tsuzaki, Hiroyuki Togashi, Yasuhiro Kamimura
Summary: Maternal age and experienced temperature have important effects on the egg and offspring traits of chub mackerel. First-time spawners produce smaller and less nutritious eggs, while repeat spawners produce larger and more nutrient-rich eggs. The starvation tolerance, body size, and growth rate of the offspring are also influenced by maternal age and temperature.
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Biology
Einar Arnason, Jere Koskela, Katrin Halldorsdottir, Bjarki Eldon
Summary: Highly fecund natural populations with high early mortality have limited understanding of their recruitment dynamics. The concept of sweepstakes reproductive success, which involves variance and skew in individual reproductive output, is key to understanding individual reproductive success distribution. It is still unclear whether highly fecund organisms reproduce through sweepstakes and the relative roles of neutral and selective sweepstakes.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Dominik Ganser, Matthias Albrecht, Eva Knop
Summary: Our study demonstrates that diverse wildflower strips can enhance the reproductive success of multiple solitary wild bee species, mitigating negative impacts of agricultural intensification by providing suitable floral resources and reducing foraging times. Smaller bee species benefit more from wildflower plantings compared to larger bee species.
JOURNAL OF APPLIED ECOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Biology
Ines Braga Goncalves, Andrew N. Radford
Summary: This study conducted the first experimental test on the effects of chronic outgroup conflict on reproductive investment and output. The results showed that outgroup conflict had significant effects on inter-clutch intervals, protein content of eggs, and the number of surviving offspring, confirming the potential impact of outgroup conflict on fitness.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Fay Morland, John G. Ewen, Mirre J. P. Simons, Patricia Brekke, Nicola Hemmings
Summary: Through long-term data analysis on a threatened songbird, we find that early-life telomere length can predict the senescence of reproductive traits, such as clutch size and hatching success. However, early-life telomere length does not predict lifespan or lifetime reproductive success. These findings provide insights on the role of telomeres in reproductive senescence and individual fitness, and suggest telomere length as a predictor for future life history in threatened species.
Article
Ecology
Kyeong Woon Min, Taehwan Jang, Kwang Pum Lee
Summary: The environmental matching hypothesis suggests that individuals perform best when adult and developmental environments match, while the silver spoon hypothesis predicts higher fitness in individuals developed under favorable environments. Temperature and nutrition are the two most influential determinants of environmental quality, affecting adult survivorship and reproductive success in fruit flies. Overall, the study highlights the importance of thermal and nutritional histories in shaping organismal performance and fitness, and demonstrates the varying effects of environmental histories on adult traits.
ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2021)
Review
Evolutionary Biology
Ilana J. Koch, Shawn R. Narum
Summary: Factors affecting LRS in salmonids include hatchery rearing, life history, phenotypic variation, behavior, spawning interactions, competitive behavior, genetic compatibility, local adaptation, and hybridization. Future research should focus on assessing LRS across different life-history strategies, expanding the species range in fitness studies, tracking long-term fitness effects through multigenerational pedigrees, studying the effects of aquatic stressors, and utilizing appropriate statistical approaches.
EVOLUTIONARY APPLICATIONS
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Joseph T. Feldblum, Christopher Krupenye, Joel Bray, Anne E. Pusey, Ian C. Gilby
Summary: Research on wild chimpanzees in Gombe National Park, Tanzania, has shown that male social bonds increase reproductive success through various mechanisms, such as forming strong bonds with alpha males and having larger networks of strong bonds. These bonds influence short-term coalition formation and centrality in the coalition network, as well as long-term dominance rank improvement for males who attain alpha status, ultimately leading to reproductive success.
Article
Ecology
Tristan J. J. Swartout, Chad H. H. Newbolt, Todd D. D. Steury, William D. D. Gulsby, Stephen S. S. Ditchkoff
Summary: Recruitment is crucial for maintaining viable populations, and both extrinsic and maternal factors influence it. We studied the breeding behavior and recruitment data of white-tailed deer, finding that recruitment success increased until around 6.5 years of age and declined in older age classes. We also discovered that larger-bodied females had high recruitment success at a younger age, while smaller-bodied females had low recruitment success when young but achieved higher success as they aged. Furthermore, females that recruited a fawn in the previous year had a higher recruitment rate compared to those that did not. A minority of females recruited the majority of fawns, with 47% of mothers recruiting fawns in consecutive years and accounting for 75.3% of all fawns during the study.
EVOLUTIONARY ECOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Javier Lenzi, Ivan Gonzalez-Bergonzoni, Elizabeth Flaherty, Daniel Hernandez, Emanuel Machin, Bryan Pijanowski
Summary: The study shows a relationship between the consumption of urban refuse by female Kelp Gulls during the pre-incubation period and their fecundity and nestling's survival in the Rio de la Plata Estuary in Uruguay. Further research is needed to evaluate this relationship considering potential confounding factors.
MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN
(2021)
Article
Zoology
Sharon E. Wise, Robert G. Jaeger
Summary: Biologists studying Eastern Red-backed Salamanders found that maternal body size and condition play a significant role in reproductive success, affecting clutch size, offspring size, and survival rate. Larger maternal size and better condition were associated with larger clutch sizes and offspring sizes, as well as increased offspring survival. This suggests that investing energy in maternal growth and health can lead to greater reproductive success in territorial animals like P. cinereus.
ICHTHYOLOGY AND HERPETOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Michaela Masilkova, David Boukal, Hayley Ash, Hannah M. Buchanan-Smith, Martina Konecna
Summary: Animal personality can affect reproductive performance, as demonstrated in captive common marmosets. Female personality traits significantly influence inter-birth intervals and fecundity rates, while male traits have limited effects on reproductive success.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2022)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Tessa Langley, Duncan Gillespie, Sarah Lewis, Katie Eminson, Alan Brennan, Graeme Docherty, Ben Young
Summary: The study developed logic models for evaluating tobacco policy, providing a transparent and theory-based approach for planning evaluations. These models encompassed short-term, intermediate, and long-term expected outcomes, aiding in defining policy impacts and causal pathways.
JOURNAL OF PUBLIC HEALTH
(2021)
Article
Substance Abuse
Colin Angus, Rob Pryce, John Holmes, Frank de Vocht, Matthew Hickman, Petra Meier, Alan Brennan, Duncan Gillespie
Article
Health Care Sciences & Services
Fan Yang, Colin Angus, Ana Duarte, Duncan Gillespie, Simon Walker, Susan Griffin
MEDICAL DECISION MAKING
(2020)
Article
Substance Abuse
Luke Brian Wilson, Robert Pryce, Rosemary Hiscock, Colin Angus, Alan Brennan, Duncan Gillespie
Summary: This study analyzes the tax pass-through situation in the tobacco industry using retail sales data in the UK, finding evidence of overshift in tax after tax increases, especially for higher-priced products. The findings suggest that the introduction of standardized packaging did not change how the tobacco industry responds to tax increases.
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Duncan Gillespie, Jenny Hatchard, Hazel Squires, Anna Gilmore, Alan Brennan
Summary: To support a move towards a coordinated non-communicable disease approach in public health policy, conceptual changes to policy on tobacco and alcohol should be understood as affecting a single interlinked system. The study identified eleven mechanisms through which individuals might modify the effects of a policy change and ten mechanisms by which the tobacco and alcohol industries might modify the effects of policy changes. Further research questions were identified to understand the potential outcomes of policy change.
Article
Substance Abuse
Luke B. Wilson, Colin Angus, Robert Pryce, John Holmes, Alan Brennan, Duncan Gillespie
Summary: This study found that dual purchasers of alcohol and tobacco spend more on these products compared to single-purchasing households. Lower-income households generally spent less on both alcohol and tobacco than higher-income households. Dual purchasers, especially those in the lowest income group, were found to be most vulnerable to potential price increases due to spending a significant portion of their total household budget on alcohol and tobacco.
Article
Substance Abuse
Magdalena Opazo Breton, Duncan Gillespie, Robert Pryce, Ilze Bogdanovica, Colin Angus, Monica Hernandez Alava, Alan Brennan, John Britton
Summary: Smoking prevalence in England has declined in recent decades mainly due to reduced smoking uptake before age 25, and to a lesser extent to smoking cessation after age 25.
Article
Substance Abuse
Alan Brennan, Colin Angus, Robert Pryce, Penny Buykx, Madeleine Henney, Duncan Gillespie, John Holmes, Petra S. Meier
Summary: This study investigated the potential effectiveness of implementing minimum unit price (MUP) policies at regional and local levels compared with national implementation. The results showed that implementing a local 0.50 pound MUP for alcohol in northern English regions is estimated to result in larger percentage reductions in harms than the national average.
Article
Substance Abuse
Jenny Hatchard, Penny Buykx, Luke Wilson, Alan Brennan, Duncan Gillespie
Summary: This study aimed to deepen the understanding of the policy objectives and options of alcohol and tobacco tax policies in the UK. The findings showed that the main objectives of alcohol and tobacco tax policies are to improve health, and there are common policy options. However, the harms caused by alcohol and tobacco and their industries are viewed differently, which influences the policy-making process.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF DRUG POLICY
(2023)
Article
Substance Abuse
Robert Pryce, Luke B. Wilson, Duncan Gillespie, Colin Angus, Damon Morris, Alan Brennan
Summary: This paper examines the cross-price effect between alcohol and tobacco using an econometric model and data from the UK. The results show that the prices of alcohol and tobacco have an impact on each other's consumption. This has significant implications for policy-making.
DRUG AND ALCOHOL REVIEW
(2023)
Article
Economics
Luke B. Wilson, Robert Pryce, Colin Angus, Rosemary Hiscock, Alan Brennan, Duncan Gillespie
Summary: This study based on 11 years of sales data in England reveals differences in tax pass-through across various beverage categories and outlet types. Retailers tend to undershift cheaper beverages and overshift relatively more expensive products, suggesting a stratified response to tax changes based on price.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF HEALTH ECONOMICS
(2021)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Robert Pryce, Colin Angus, John Holmes, Duncan Gillespie, Penny Buykx, Petra Meier, Matt Hickman, Frank de Vocht, Alan Brennan
POPULATION HEALTH METRICS
(2020)
Meeting Abstract
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
T. Langley, D. Gillespie, S. Lewis, K. Eminson, G. Docherty, B. Young
JOURNAL OF EPIDEMIOLOGY AND COMMUNITY HEALTH
(2019)
Meeting Abstract
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
F. Yang, A. Duarte, S. Walker, C. Angus, D. Gillespie, S. Griffin
JOURNAL OF EPIDEMIOLOGY AND COMMUNITY HEALTH
(2019)
Meeting Abstract
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
C. Angus, D. Gillespie, F. Yang, A. Duarte, S. Walker, S. Griffin
JOURNAL OF EPIDEMIOLOGY AND COMMUNITY HEALTH
(2019)