A5082386906- Species Distribution and Climate Change
- Amphibian and Reptile Biology
- Gut microbiota and health
- Ecology and Vegetation Dynamics Studies
- Animal Behavior and Reproduction
- Plant and animal studies
- Wildlife Ecology and Conservation
- Avian ecology and behavior
- Probiotics and Fermented Foods
- Viral Infections and Vectors
- Fish Ecology and Management Studies
- Evolution and Genetic Dynamics
- Soil and Water Nutrient Dynamics
- Animal Ecology and Behavior Studies
- Genetic diversity and population structure
- Bacteriophages and microbial interactions
- Pesticide and Herbicide Environmental Studies
- Insect symbiosis and bacterial influences
- Peatlands and Wetlands Ecology
- Genomics and Phylogenetic Studies
- Fungal Infections and Studies
- Aquatic Invertebrate Ecology and Behavior
- Mosquito-borne diseases and control
- Mycorrhizal Fungi and Plant Interactions
- Statistical Methods and Bayesian Inference
University of Exeter
2012-2025
Zoological Society of London
2014-2024
Creative Technologies (United States)
2019
Virginia Tech
2019
Ecological Society of America
2018
University of Sheffield
2010-2011
The use of linear mixed effects models (LMMs) is increasingly common in the analysis biological data. Whilst LMMs offer a flexible approach to modelling broad range data types, ecological are often complex and require model structures, fitting interpretation such not always straightforward. ability achieve robust inference requires that practitioners know how when apply these tools. Here, we provide general overview current methods for application data, highlight typical pitfalls can be...
Overdispersion is common in models of count data ecology and evolutionary biology, can occur due to missing covariates, non-independent (aggregated) data, or an excess frequency zeroes (zero-inflation). Accounting for overdispersion such vital, as failing do so lead biased parameter estimates, false conclusions regarding hypotheses interest. Observation-level random effects (OLRE), where each point receives a unique level effect that the extra-Poisson variation present are commonly employed...
Overdispersion is a common feature of models biological data, but researchers often fail to model the excess variation driving overdispersion, resulting in biased parameter estimates and standard errors. Quantifying modeling overdispersion when it present therefore critical for robust inference. One means account add an observation-level random effect (OLRE) model, where each data point receives unique level that can absorb extra-parametric data. Although some studies have investigated...
Microbial ecology provides insights into the ecological and evolutionary dynamics of microbial communities underpinning every ecosystem on Earth. can now be investigated in unprecedented detail, although there is still a wealth open questions to tackled. Here we identify 50 research fundamental importance science or application ecology, with intention summarising field bringing focus new avenues. Questions are categorised seven themes: host-microbiome interactions; health infectious...
Abstract Host-associated microbes are vital for combatting infections and maintaining health. In amphibians, certain skin-associated bacteria inhibit the fungal pathogen Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis ( Bd ), yet our understanding of host microbial ecology its role in disease outbreaks is limited. We sampled from Pyrenean midwife toad populations exhibiting enzootic or epizootic dynamics. demonstrate that bacterial communities differ between life stages with few shared taxa, indicative...
1. It has been known for some time that the consequences of 'decisions' made at one point in an animal's life may not always be borne immediately. For example, numerous studies have demonstrated trade-off between current and future breeding success across multiple taxa. 2. is becoming increasingly clear such processes also operate among seasons, conditions experienced annual cycle significant downstream impacts, or 'carry-over effects', this particularly evident migratory species. We might...
Biological systems, at all scales of organisation from nucleic acids to ecosystems, are inherently complex and variable. Biologists therefore use statistical analyses detect signal among this systemic noise. Statistical models infer trends, find functional relationships differences that exist groups or caused by experimental manipulations. They also help predict uncertain futures. All branches the biological sciences now embrace possibilities mixed-effects modelling its flexible toolkit for...
Knowledge of the way in which animals interact through social networks can help to address questions surrounding ecological and evolutionary consequences organisation, understand manage spread infectious diseases. Automated proximity loggers are increasingly being used record interactions between animals, but accuracy reliability collected data remain largely un-assessed. Here we use laboratory observational field assess performance these devices fitted a herd 32 beef cattle (Bos taurus)...
The use of linear mixed effects models (LMMs) is increasingly common in the analysis biological data. Whilst LMMs offer a flexible approach to modelling broad range data types, ecological are often complex and require model structures, fitting interpretation such not always straightforward. ability achieve robust inference requires that practitioners know how when apply these tools. Here, we provide general overview current methods for application data, highlight typical pitfalls can be...
Variation among animals in their host-associated microbial communities is increasingly recognized as a key determinant of important life history traits including growth, metabolism, and resistance to disease. Quantitative estimates the factors shaping stability host microbiomes over time at individual level non-model organisms are scarce. Addressing this gap our knowledge important, variation individuals microbiome may represent temporal gain or loss species functions linked health and/or...
Amphibian populations worldwide are at risk of extinction from infectious diseases, including chytridiomycosis caused by the fungal pathogen Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd). cutaneous microbiomes interact with Bd and can confer protective benefits to host. The composition microbiome itself is influenced many environment- host-related factors. However, little known about interacting effects host population structure, genetic variation developmental stage on prevalence across multiple...
Abstract Background The fungal pathogen Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis ( Bd ) threatens amphibian biodiversity and ecosystem stability worldwide. Amphibian skin microbial community structure has been linked to the clinical outcome of infections, yet its overall functional importance is poorly understood. Methods Microbiome taxonomic profiles were assessed using high-throughput bacterial 16S rRNA ITS2 gene sequencing, shotgun metagenomics mucosal metabolomics. We sampled 56 wild midwife toads...
Environmental DNA (eDNA) is a technique increasingly used for monitoring organisms in the natural environment including riverine macroinvertebrates. However, effectiveness of eDNA macroinvertebrates compared with more traditional method sampling directly and identifying them via morphological analysis, has not been well established. Furthermore, ability various gene markers PCR primer sets to detect full range invertebrate taxa quantified. Here we conducted meta-analysis available...
ABSTRACT Microbiomes associated with multicellular organisms influence the disease susceptibility of hosts. The potential exists for such bacteria to protect wildlife from infectious diseases, particularly in case globally distributed and highly virulent fungal pathogen Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis global panzootic lineage ( B. GPL), responsible mass extinctions population declines amphibians. GPL exhibits wide genotypic virulence variation, ability candidate probiotics restrict growth...
The emerging fungal pathogen, Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans (Bsal) is responsible for the catastrophic decline of European salamanders and poses a threat to amphibians globally. amphibian skin microbiome can influence disease outcome several host-pathogen systems, yet little known its role in Bsal infection. In addition, many experimental in-vivo studies date have relied on specimens that been kept captivity long periods without considering environment how this may impact host response...
Humans cooperate to build complex structures with culture-specific architectural styles. However, they are not the only animals nor have culture. We show that social groups of white-browed sparrow weavers (
Abstract Host‐associated microbiomes are thought to play a key role in host physiology and fitness, but this conclusion mainly derives from systems biased towards animal models humans. While many studies on non‐model wild animals have characterised the taxonomic diversity of their microbiomes, few investigated functional potential these microbial communities. Functional ‘omics’ approaches, such as metagenomics, metatranscriptomics metabolomics, represent promising techniques probe...
Cultural transmission is thought to be a mechanism by which migratory animals settle into habitats, but little evidence exists in wild populations because of the difficulty following individuals over successive generations and wide geographical distances. inheritance migration routes represents whereby isolation can arise between separate groups could constrain potentially suboptimal sites within their range. Conversely, adopting parental route adult life, rather than dispersing randomly,...
In many animals, processes occurring in one season carry over to influence reproductive success and survival future seasons. The strength of such carry-over effects is unlikely be uniform across years, yet our understanding the that are capable modifying their remains limited. Here we show female light-bellied Brent geese with higher body mass prior spring migration successfully reared more offspring during breeding, but only years where environmental conditions breeding were favourable. bad...
Abstract Mechanisms that prevent different species from interbreeding are fundamental to the maintenance of biodiversity. Barriers interspecific matings, such as failure recognize a potential mate, often relatively easy identify. Those occurring after mating, differences in how successful sperm competition for fertilisations, cryptic and have create selection on females mate multiply defence against maladaptive hybridization. Cryptic advantages conspecific may be very widespread been...
Abstract Symbiotic bacterial communities can protect their hosts from infection by pathogens. Treatment of wild individuals with protective bacteria (probiotics) isolated combat the spread emerging infectious diseases. However, it is unclear whether candidate probiotic offer consistent protection across multiple isolates globally distributed Here, we use lethal amphibian fungal pathogen Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis to investigate richness (number bacteria) or genetic distance among...
Striking effects of cooperation on the reproductive variance relatives help to explain global biogeography altruism.