A5088919135- Gut microbiota and health
- Stellar, planetary, and galactic studies
- Astronomy and Astrophysical Research
- Marine animal studies overview
- Animal Vocal Communication and Behavior
- Adaptive optics and wavefront sensing
- Environmental DNA in Biodiversity Studies
- Genomics and Phylogenetic Studies
- Genetic diversity and population structure
- Plant and animal studies
- Wildlife Ecology and Conservation
- Identification and Quantification in Food
- Animal Behavior and Reproduction
- History and Developments in Astronomy
- Avian ecology and behavior
- Optical measurement and interference techniques
- Plant and Fungal Interactions Research
- Animal Ecology and Behavior Studies
- Chromosomal and Genetic Variations
- Ecology and Vegetation Dynamics Studies
- Species Distribution and Climate Change
- Scientific Research and Discoveries
- Astrophysics and Star Formation Studies
- Veterinary Medicine and Surgery
- Calibration and Measurement Techniques
Cargill (Netherlands)
2024
University of Otago
2023
Helmholtz Zentrum München
2023
Technical University of Munich
2023
Victoria University of Wellington
2013-2015
American Museum of Natural History
2004-2006
University of Edinburgh
2001-2003
UK Astronomy Technology Centre
2002
Abstract High-quality and complete reference genome assemblies are fundamental for the application of genomics to biology, disease, biodiversity conservation. However, such available only a few non-microbial species 1–4 . To address this issue, international Genome 10K (G10K) consortium 5,6 has worked over five-year period evaluate develop cost-effective methods assembling highly accurate nearly genomes. Here we present lessons learned from generating 16 that represent six major vertebrate...
Summary Autonomous acoustic recorders are widely available and can provide a highly efficient method of species monitoring, especially when coupled with software to automate data processing. However, the adoption these techniques is restricted by lack direct comparisons existing manual field surveys. We assessed performance autonomous methods comparing automated examination recordings field‐listening survey, using commercially custom call detection classification software. compared...
The kākāpō is a flightless parrot endemic to New Zealand. Once common in the archipelago, only 201 individuals remain today, most of them descending from an isolated island population. We report first genome-wide analyses species, including high-quality genome assembly for kākāpō, one chromosome-level reference genomes sequenced by Vertebrate Genomes Project (VGP). also and analyzed 35 modern sole surviving population 14 extinct mainland While theory suggests that such small likely have...
The Milky Way galaxy contains a large, spherical component which is believed to harbor substantial amount of unseen matter. Recent observations indirectly suggest that as much half this "dark matter" may be in the form old, very cool white dwarfs, remnants an ancient population stars old itself. We conducted survey find faint, dwarfs with large space velocities, indicative their membership galaxy's halo component. reveals substantial, directly observed too faint seen previous surveys. This...
Abstract High-quality and complete reference genome assemblies are fundamental for the application of genomics to biology, disease, biodiversity conservation. However, such only available a few non-microbial species 1–4 . To address this issue, international Genome 10K (G10K) consortium 5,6 has worked over five-year period evaluate develop cost-effective methods assembling most accurate genomes date. Here we summarize these developments, introduce set quality standards, present lessons...
Abstract Virus transmission between host species underpins disease emergence. Both phylogenetic relatedness and aspects of their ecology, such as interactions predator–prey relationships, may govern rates patterns cross-species virus hence zoonotic risk. To address the impact phylogeny ecology on diversity evolution, we characterized virome structure a relatively isolated island ecological community in Fiordland, New Zealand, that are linked through food web. We show barriers inhibited...
We used non-invasive real-time genomic approaches to monitor one of the last surviving populations critically endangered kākāpō ( Strigops habroptilus ). first established an environmental DNA metabarcoding protocol identify distribution and other vertebrate species in a highly localized manner using soil samples. Harnessing nanopore sequencing high-quality reference genome, we then extracted species-specific from soil. combined long read-based haplotype phasing with known individual...
The kākāpō is a critically endangered flightless parrot which suffers from exudative cloacitis, debilitating disease resulting in inflammation of the vent margin or cloaca. Despite this emerging over 20 years ago, cause cloacitis remains elusive. We used total RNA sequencing and metatranscriptomic analysis to characterise infectome lesions cloacal swabs nine affected with compared 45 non-diseased kākāpō. identified three bacterial species-Streptococcus gallolyticus, Enterococcus faecalis...
Abstract Background The Aotearoa New Zealand takahē ( Porphyrio hochstetteri ), once thought to be extinct, is a nationally threatened flightless rail under intensive conservation management. While there has been previous research into disease-related microbes in takahē, little known about the present gastrointestinal tract. Given importance of gut-associated herbivore nutrition and immunity, knowledge these communities likely considerable value. Here we examined gut microbiotas 57 at eight...
Temporal and environmental variation in vocal activity can provide information on avian behaviour call function not available to short‐term experimental studies. Inter‐sexual differences this insight into selection effects. Yet factors influencing have been assessed many birds, even those monitored by acoustic methods. This applies the New Zealand kiwi (Apterygidae), for which censuses are used extensively conservation monitoring, yet poorly understood ecology. We investigated little spotted...
Abstract The kākāpō is a critically endangered, intensively managed, long-lived nocturnal parrot endemic to Aotearoa New Zealand. We generated and analyzed whole-genome sequence data for nearly all individuals living in early 2018 (169 individuals) generate high-quality species-wide genetic variant callset. leverage extensive long-term metadata quantify genome-wide diversity of the species over time present new approaches using probabilistic programming, combined with phenotype dataset...
Sexual call dimorphism in birds is usually associated with sexual size dimorphism. Departures from this relationship can be used to infer function, but research into inter‐sexual differences, as song function general, has been restricted by a bias towards male passerines. The nocturnal and flightless N ew Z ealand kiwi ( A pterygidae) are acoustically similar taxonomically ecologically very different other birds, so provide contrast exploring avian evolution. However, acoustic ecology poorly...
Using data from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey Early Data Release and SuperCOSMOS scans of POSS-I plates, we identify a sample ∼2600 subdwarfs using reduced proper motion methods strict selection criteria. This forms one largest most reliable samples candidate known, enables us to determine accurate luminosity functions along many different lines sight. We derive subdwarf function with unprecedented accuracy MV≲ 12.5, finding good agreement recent local estimates but discrepancy results for...
Among the adaptive optics systems available to astronomers, US Air Force Advanced Electro-Optical System (AEOS) is unique because it delivers very high order wave front correction. The Lyot Project includes construction and installation of world's first diffraction-limited, optimized coronagraph that exploits full astronomical potential AEOS represents a critical step toward long-term goal directly imaging studying extrasolar planets (a.k.a. "exoplanets"). We provide an update on Project,...
The critically endangered kākāpō, an herbivorous parrot endemic to New Zealand, is subject intensive management increase its population size. Key aspects of the program include supplementary feeding and translocation kākāpō between different predator-free islands optimize genetic composition breeding populations. While these practices have helped boost population, their impact on fecal microbiota uncertain. Previous studies found that possesses a low-diversity microbiota, typically dominated...
Abstract Social immunity is the cooperation of individual group members towards control disease transmission arising from social living. It has been identified as an important mechanism natural in honey bees, A pis mellifera Linnaeus, which can exhibit hygienic behaviours such evicting pathogen‐infected or parasitised nest mates. Here, we examine if these bees a change behaviour mates infected by microsporidian pathogens N osema apis and . ceranae We observed no significant frequency...
Abstract Background The critically endangered kākāpō is a flightless, nocturnal parrot endemic to Aotearoa New Zealand. Recent efforts describe the gastrointestinal microbial community of this threatened herbivore revealed low-diversity microbiota that often dominated by Escherichia-Shigella bacteria. Given importance associated communities animal health, and increasing appreciation their potential relevance species conservation, we sought better understand development unusual gut profile....
A coronagraph in conjunction with adaptive optics provides an effective means to image faint companions of nearby stars from the ground. The images such a system are complex, however, and need be fully characterized understood before planets or disks can detected against glare host star. Using data Lyot Project coronagraph, we investigate difficulties astrometric measurements diffraction-limited coronagraphic consider principal problem determining precise location occulted We demonstrate how...
AbstractNon-linear phenomena (NLP) in vocalizations may have adaptive functions, such as increasing acoustic impact or conveying fitness identity information. Yet despite their potential to impart behavioural information, these spectral features not been studied most bird species and many genera. This applies the New Zealand kiwi (Apterygidae), with NLP-like indicated one species, but explored further. nocturnal cryptic birds heavily reliant on vocal communication, are ideal which assess...
Animal conservation often requires intensive management actions to improve reproductive output, yet any adverse effects of these may not be immediately apparent, particularly in threatened species with small populations and long lifespans. Hand-rearing is an example a strategy which, while boosting populations, can cause long-term demographic behavioural problems. It used the recovery critically endangered kākāpō (
Abstract Gut microbiota play an essential role in host health with important implications for conservation management of threatened wildlife. While factors such as diet, medication and habitat are known to shape the microbiota, our understanding entirety factors, including complex genomic background, remains incomplete. Our research on interaction between genome gut critically endangered kākāpō ( Strigops habroptilus ), a flightless parrot endemic Aotearoa New Zealand, represents, knowledge,...
The information contained in population genomic data can tell us much about the past ecology and evolution of species. We leveraged detailed phenotypic nearly all living kākāpō to understand its feather color polymorphism. is an endangered culturally significant parrot endemic Aotearoa New Zealand, green olive colorations are present at similar frequencies population. presence such a neatly balanced polymorphism remarkable because entire currently numbers less than 250 birds, which means it...