A5003540094- Wildlife Ecology and Conservation
- Animal Ecology and Behavior Studies
- Herpesvirus Infections and Treatments
- Human-Animal Interaction Studies
- Genetic and phenotypic traits in livestock
- Genetic diversity and population structure
- Wildlife-Road Interactions and Conservation
- Animal Behavior and Welfare Studies
- Dermatological diseases and infestations
- Animal Disease Management and Epidemiology
- Animal Virus Infections Studies
- HIV Research and Treatment
- Cytomegalovirus and herpesvirus research
- Marine animal studies overview
- Viral Infections and Vectors
- Avian ecology and behavior
- Isotope Analysis in Ecology
- Rabies epidemiology and control
- Yersinia bacterium, plague, ectoparasites research
- Bat Biology and Ecology Studies
- Study of Mite Species
- Toxic Organic Pollutants Impact
- Toxoplasma gondii Research Studies
- Bartonella species infections research
- Vector-Borne Animal Diseases
University of Cape Town
2016-2025
Panthera Corporation
2021-2024
University of California System
2015-2024
University of California, Santa Cruz
2016-2023
University of California, Los Angeles
2012-2018
The extinction vortex is a theoretical model describing the process by which risk elevated in small, isolated populations owing to interactions between environmental, demographic, and genetic factors. However, empirical demonstrations of these have been elusive. We modelled dynamics small mountain lion population anthropogenic barriers greater Los Angeles, California, evaluate influence genetic, landscape factors on probability. exhibited strong survival reproduction, predicted stable median...
Understanding how human activities influence immune response to environmental stressors can support biodiversity conservation across increasingly urbanizing landscapes. We studied a bobcat ( Lynx rufus ) population in urban southern California that experienced rapid decline from 2002–2005 due notoedric mange. Because anticoagulant rodenticide (AR) exposure was an underlying complication mange deaths, we aimed understand sublethal contributions of urbanization and ARs on 65 biochemical...
Urbanization profoundly impacts animal populations by causing isolation, increased susceptibility to disease, and exposure toxicants. Genetic effects include reduced effective population size, substructure, decreased adaptive potential. We investigated the influence that urbanization a disease epizootic had on genetics of bobcats (Lynx rufus) distributed across highly fragmented urban landscape. genotyped more than 300 bobcats, sampled from 1996 2012, for variation at nine neutral seven...
Abstract Understanding how landscape, host, and pathogen traits contribute to disease exposure requires systematic evaluations of pathogens within among host species geographic regions. The relative importance these attributes is critical for management wildlife mitigating domestic animal human disease, particularly given rapid ecological changes, such as urbanization. We screened >1000 samples from sympatric populations puma ( P uma concolor ), bobcat L ynx rufus cat F elis catus )...
Abstract Wildlife populations are becoming increasingly fragmented by anthropogenic development. Small and isolated often face an elevated risk of extinction, in part due to inbreeding depression. Here, we examine the genomic consequences urbanization a caracal ( Caracal ) population that has become Cape Peninsula region City Town, South Africa, is thought number ~50 individuals. We document low levels migration into over past ~75 years, with estimated rate 1.3 effective migrants per...
ABSTRACT Gammaherpesviruses (GHVs) are a diverse and rapidly expanding group of viruses associated with variety disease conditions in humans animals. To identify felid GHVs, we screened domestic cat ( Felis catus ), bobcat Lynx rufus puma Puma concolor ) blood cell DNA samples from California, Colorado, Florida using degenerate pan-GHV PCR. Additional long-distance PCRs were used to sequence contiguous 3.4-kb region each putative virus species, including partial glycoprotein B polymerase...
Wetlands are among the most diverse and productive ecosystems globally, playing a critical role in supporting biodiversity regulating hydrology. However, they increasingly threatened by expansion of aquaculture, agriculture, urbanization. Carnivores sensitive to human disturbances, often adapting altering their spatial temporal behaviors. some smaller, generalist carnivores not only persist altered landscapes but may even thrive human-dominated landscapes. This study examines habitat...
ABSTRACT Urbanisation critically alters the availability of resources and nature risks for wildlife by fragmenting natural habitats disrupting ecosystems. Despite these challenges, carnivores frequently persist in around urban environments, where novel opportunities, such as anthropogenic food, may outweigh associated ecological risks. Here, we investigate responses an adapter to resources, using stable isotope analysis vibrissae (whiskers) understand spatiotemporal foraging patterns...
ABSTRACT Owing to a complex history of host-parasite coevolution, lentiviruses exhibit high degree species specificity. Given the well-documented viral archeology human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) emergence following exposures simian (SIV), an understanding processes that promote successful cross-species lentiviral transmissions is highly relevant. We previously reported natural transmission subtype feline virus, puma lentivirus A (PLVA), between bobcats ( Lynx rufus ) and mountain lions...
Abstract Anticoagulant rodenticides ( AR s) are indiscriminate toxicants that threaten nontarget predatory and scavenger species through secondary poisoning. Accumulating evidence suggests exposure may have disruptive sublethal consequences on individuals can affect fitness. We evaluated ‐related effects genome‐wide expression patterns in a population of bobcats southern California. identify differential genes involved xenobiotic metabolism, endoplasmic reticulum stress response, epithelial...
Human activities increasingly challenge wild animal populations by disrupting ecological connectivity and population persistence. Yet, human-modified habitats can provide resources, resulting in selection of disturbed areas generalist species. To investigate spatial temporal responses a carnivore to human disturbance, we investigated habitat diel activity patterns caracals (Caracal caracal). We GPS-collared 25 adults subadults urban wildland-dominated subregions Cape Town, South Africa....
ABSTRACT Mountain lions ( Puma concolor ) throughout North and South America are infected with puma lentivirus clade B (PLVB). A second, highly divergent lentiviral clade, PLVA, infects mountain in southern California Florida. Bobcats Lynx rufus these two geographic regions also to date, this is the only strain of identified bobcats. We sequenced full-length PLV genomes order characterize molecular evolution bobcats lions. Low sequence homology (88% average pairwise identity) frequent...
Abstract Urbanization is a major factor driving habitat fragmentation and connectivity loss in wildlife. However, the impacts of urbanization on can vary among species even populations due to differences local landscape characteristics, our ability detect these relationships may depend spatial scale at which they are measured. Bobcats ( Lynx rufus ) relatively sensitive status bobcat an important indicator urban coastal southern California. We genotyped 271 bobcats 13,520 SNP loci conduct...
Abstract As natural habitat is progressively transformed, effective wildlife conservation relies on understanding the phenotypic traits that allow select species to persist outside of protected areas. Through behavioural flexibility such may trade off abundant resources with risks, both real and perceived. highly adaptable mesocarnivores, caracals ( Caracal caracal ) provide an opportunity examine development successful foraging strategies in high‐risk developed Here we investigated resource...
The use of marine subsidies by terrestrial predators can facilitate substantial transfer nutrients between and ecosystems. Marine resource may have profound effects on predator ecology, influencing population niche dynamics. Expanding niches top consumers impact ecosystem resilience interspecific interactions, affecting predator-prey dynamics competition. We investigate the occurrence, importance, resources trophic ecology in a highly generalist predator, caracal (Caracal caracal), Cape...
In the digital age online platforms provide new models of engagement between science and society. Garnering sufficient involvement in conservation relies largely on communicating aims findings research projects. Here, role social media understanding ecology an elusive wildcat, caracal (Caracal caracal), Cape Town, South Africa is explored. There has been sustained growth Urban Caracal Project's following since its inception 2014 (>16,800 followers Facebook; > 7,300 Instagram). The public...
Since the emergence of next generation sequencing platforms, unprecedented opportunities have arisen in study natural vertebrate populations. In particular, insights into genetic and epigenetic mechanisms adaptation can be revealed through expression profiles genes. However, as a pre-requisite to profiling, care must taken RNA preparation factors like DNA contamination, integrity or transcript abundance affect downstream applications. Here, we evaluated five commonly used extraction methods...