A5073324355- Genetic diversity and population structure
- Animal Behavior and Reproduction
- Genetic and phenotypic traits in livestock
- Avian ecology and behavior
- Plant and animal studies
- Wildlife Ecology and Conservation
- Species Distribution and Climate Change
- Evolution and Genetic Dynamics
- Ecology and Vegetation Dynamics Studies
- Bird parasitology and diseases
- Genetic Mapping and Diversity in Plants and Animals
- Migration and Labor Dynamics
- Animal Vocal Communication and Behavior
- Genetic and Environmental Crop Studies
- Parasite Biology and Host Interactions
- Genomics and Phylogenetic Studies
- Animal Behavior and Welfare Studies
- Insect and Arachnid Ecology and Behavior
- Animal Ecology and Behavior Studies
- T-cell and B-cell Immunology
- Nematode management and characterization studies
- Helminth infection and control
- Migration, Ethnicity, and Economy
- Microbial infections and disease research
- Retirement, Disability, and Employment
University of Zurich
2014-2024
Natural History Museum
2024
Swiss National Museum
2024
The University of Sydney
2023
Zürich Zoological Garden
2007-2022
Estonian Association for Applied Linguistics
2020
Inter-American Development Bank
2018
Faculty of 1000 (United States)
2016
Institut de Biologia Evolutiva
2014
University of Glasgow
2001-2010
Human activity has caused dramatic population declines in many wild species. The resulting bottlenecks have a profound impact on the genetic makeup of species with unknown consequences for health. A key factor survival is evolution deleterious mutation load, but how bottleneck strength and load interact lacks empirical evidence. We analyze 60 complete genomes six ibex domestic goat. show that historic rather than current conservation status predict levels genome-wide variation. By analyzing...
The rate of adaptive evolution, the contribution selection to genetic changes that increase mean fitness, is determined by additive variance in individual relative fitness. To date, there are few robust estimates this parameter for natural populations, and it therefore unclear whether evolution can play a meaningful role short-term population dynamics. We developed applied quantitative methods long-term datasets from 19 wild bird mammal populations found that, while vary between fitness...
Inbreeding depression is thought to be a major factor affecting the evolution of mating systems and dispersal. While there ample evidence for inbreeding in captivity, it has rarely been documented natural populations. In this study, I examine data from long-term demographic study an insular population song sparrows (Melospiza melodia) present depression. Forty-four percent all matings on Mandarte Island, British Columbia, were among known relatives. Offspring full-sib (f = 0.25) experienced...
1. We analysed the effect of prey density and size on foraging performance great blue tit ( Parus major L., P. caeruleus L.) parents, its consequences for growth fledging weight nestlings. Because is a determinant subsequent survival therefore fitness, decisions parents play key role in reproductive system tits. The analysis quantifies (i) rate at which energy delivered to nestlings relation abundance, (ii) rates resulting food delivery by parents. 2. searching time per item increased...
Population bottlenecks are often invoked to explain low levels of genetic variation in natural populations, yet few studies have documented the direct consequences known wild. Empirical population therefore needed, because key assumptions theoretical and laboratory may not hold Here we present microsatellite data from a severe bottleneck (95% mortality) an insular song sparrows (Melospiza melodia). The major findings our study as follows: (i) reduced heterozygosity allelic diversity nearly...
Understanding the fitness consequences of inbreeding (inbreeding depression) is importance to evolutionary and conservation biology. There ample evidence for depression in captivity, data from wild populations are accumulating. However, we still lack a good quantitative understanding what influences its magnitude natural populations. Specifically, relationship between environmental severity unclear. We quantified survival reproduction cactus finches (Geospiza scandens) medium ground fortis)...
Abstract We use genetic divergence at 16 microsatellite loci to investigate how geographical features of the Galápagos landscape structure island populations Darwin's finches. compare three most genetically divergent groups finches comprising morphologically and ecologically similar allopatric populations: cactus ( Geospiza scandens conirostris ), sharp‐beaked ground difficilis ) warbler Certhidea olivacea fusca ). Evidence reduced diversity due drift was limited on small, peripheral...
Abstract Between 1973 and 2003 mean morphological features of the cactus finch, Geospiza scandens, medium ground G. fortis, populations on Galápagos island Daphne Major were subject to fluctuating directional selection. An increase in bluntness or robustness beak scandens after 1990 can only partly be explained by We use 16 microsatellite loci test predictions previously proposed hypothesis that introgressive hybridization contributed trend, resulting genes flowing predominantly from fortis...
The major histocompatibility complex (MHC) is a crucial component of the vertebrate immune system and shows extremely high levels genetic polymorphism. extraordinary variation thought to be ancient polymorphisms maintained by balancing selection. However, introgression from related species was recently proposed as an additional mechanism. Here we provide evidence for at MHC in Alpine ibex (Capra ibex). At usually very polymorphic exon involved pathogen recognition (DRB 2), carried only two...
Inbreeding depression, the deterioration in mean trait value progeny of related parents, is a fundamental quantity genetics, evolutionary biology, animal and plant breeding, conservation biology. The magnitude inbreeding depression can be quantified by load, typically measured numbers lethal equivalents, population genetic that allows for comparisons between environments, populations or species. However, there as yet no quantitative assessment which combinations statistical models metrics...
We studied the effects of heavy and prolonged rainfall associated with four El Niño events on reproduction Darwin's finches Galápagos island Daphne Major. Rainfall varied in years from 195 mm to 1359 mm, exceeding maximum other by 40% 1000%. Two species were studied: Geospiza fortis, Medium Ground Finch, G. scandens, Cactus Finch. Almost all eggs, nestlings, fledglings produced banded females recorded 1983, 1987, 1991, 1998. Finch production these was compared 10 breeding period 1976–1990;...
A thorough knowledge of relationships between host genotype and immunity to parasitic infection is required understand parasite-mediated mechanisms genetic population change. It has been suggested that may decline with inbreeding. However, the relationship inbreeding level a host's response novel immune challenge not investigated in natural population. We used pedigreed song sparrows (Melospiza melodia) inhabiting Mandarte Island, Canada, test hypothesis sparrow's cell-mediated (CMI) an...
Abstract We studied heterosis and outbreeding depression among immigrants their descendants in a population of song sparrows on Mandarte Island, Canada. Using data spanning 19 generations, we compared survival, seasonal reproductive success, lifetime success immigrants, natives (birds with resident-hatched parents grandparents), offspring (F1s, birds an immigrant native parent, F2s, grandparent each maternal paternal lines). Lifetime was no worse than that natives, but other measures...
We studied mate choice and inbreeding avoidance a natural population of song sparrows (Melospiza melodia) on Mandarte Island, Canada. Inbreeding occurred regularly: 59% all matings were between known relatives. tested for by comparing the observed levels to those expected if had been random with respect relatedness. Independent our assumptions about availability mates in mating model, we found that distributions coefficients similar, as was frequency close (f ≥ 0.125) inbreeding....
Inbreeding is typically detrimental to fitness. However, some animal populations are reported inbreed without incurring inbreeding depression, ostensibly due past "purging" of deleterious alleles. Challenging this the position that purging can, at best, only adapt a population particular environment; novel selective regimes will always uncover additional load. We consider in prominent test case: eusocial naked mole-rat (Heterocephalus glaber), one most inbred all free-living mammals....
Mutation accumulation (MA) and antagonistic pleiotropy (AP) have each been hypothesized to explain the evolution of ‘senescence’ or deteriorating fitness in old age. These hypotheses make contrasting predictions concerning age dependence inbreeding depression traits that show senescence. Inbreeding is predicted increase with under MA but not AP, suggesting one empirical means by which two can be distinguished. We use pedigree life-history data from free-living song sparrows ( Melospiza...
Comprehensive, accurate paternity assignment is critical to answering numerous questions in evolutionary ecology. Yet, most studies of species with extra-pair (EPP) fail assign sires all offspring. Common limitations include incomplete and biased sampling offspring males, particularly respect male location social status, potentially biasing estimated patterns paternity. Studies that achieve comprehensive are therefore required. Accordingly, we genotyped virtually males >99% 6-day-old over 16...
The forces driving extra-pair reproduction by socially monogamous females, and the resulting genetic polyandry, remain unclear. A testable prediction of hypothesis that partly reflects indirect selection on females is young (EPY) will be fitter than their within-pair (WPY) maternal half-siblings. This has not been comprehensively tested in a wild population, requiring data lifetime reproductive success (LRS) half-sib EPY WPY. We used 17 years parentage from song sparrows, Melospiza melodia,...