Published in: Science Authors: Bonnet et al (there are 40!) Abstract: The rate of adaptive evolution, the contribution of selection to genetic changes that increase mean fitness, is determined by the additive genetic variance in individual relative fitness. To date, there are few robust estimates of this parameter for natural populations, and it is therefore […]
Published in: Animal Conservation Authors: Mather, E., Fogell, D.J., McCready, M., McInnes, K. & Ewen, J.G. Abstract: Haematophagous parasites can negatively impact breeding success and their control is often the target of management for threatened bird species. Mitigating parasitism can be difficult and certainly should only be done if parasite control is possible and if […]
Published in: Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences Authors: Victoria R. Franks, John G. Ewen, Mhairi McCready and Rose Thorogood Abstract Early independence from parents is a critical period where social information acquired vertically may become outdated, or conflict with new information. However, across natural populations, it is unclear if newly independent young […]
We are very happy to share that Caitlin has submitted her PHD. This is a truly global PHD effort with a focus on hihi dietary variation. It included field study on multiple hihi populations (Tiritiri Matangi, Rotokare, Bushy Park Tarapuruhi and Zealandia) and even some sites where we hope to see hihi in the future […]
Published in:Â Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences Authors: Laura Duntsch, Barbara M. Tomotani, Pierre de Villemereuil, Patricia Brekke, Kate D. Lee, John G. Ewen and Anna W. Santure Abstract:Â To predict if a threatened species can adapt to changing selective pressures, it is crucial to understand the genetic basis of adaptive traits, especially […]
Published in: Animal Conservation Authors: Victoria R. Franks, Caitlin E. Andrews, John G. Ewen, Mhairi McCready, Kevin A. Parker and Rose Thorogood Abstract: Reintroductions, essential to many conservation programmes, disrupt both abiotic and social environments. Despite growing recognition that social connections in animals might alter survival (e.g. social transmission of foraging skills, or transmission of […]
Published in: Animal Behaviour Authors:Â Victoria R. Franks, John G. Ewen, Mhairi McCready, J. Marcus Rowcliffe, Donal Smith and Rose Thorogood Abstract: Animal sociality arises from the cumulative effects of both individual social decisions and environmental factors. While juveniles’ social interactions with parents prior to independence shape later life sociality, in most bird and mammal species […]
Twenty female and 20 male hihi were released on Friday 3rd June by members of Auckland Council, Hihi Conservation Charitable Trust, NgÄti Manuhiri, the Navy and Shakespear Open Sanctuary Society Incorporated (SOSSI) onto Defence Force land within the park. For full coverage of the release, along with a really neat video please see the media […]
Published in:Â Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London Series B Authors: Kate M. Richardson, Elizabeth H. Parlato, Leila K. Walker, Kevin A. Parker, John G. Ewen and Doug P. Armstrong Abstract: There is growing recognition that variation in animal personality traits can influence survival and reproduction rates, and consequently may be important for wildlife […]
Published in: Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution Authors: Victoria R. Franks, Mhairi McCready, James L. Savage and Rose Thorogood Abstract: Many young birds die soon after fledging, as they lack the skills to ï¬nd food and avoid predation. Post-fledging parental care is assumed to assist acquisition of these vital skills. However, we still lack empirical examples […]
Published in: Conservation Science and Practice Authors: Julia Panfylova, John G Ewen and Doug Armstrong Abstract: Structured decisionâ€making (SDM) has become popular in natural resource management but has been underused in reintroduction programs. We illustrate how conservation managers can use SDM to guide management decisions after initial reintroduction, when data are still limited and uncertainty […]
Published in: Evolutionary Applications Authors: Pierre de Villemereuil, Alexis Rutschmann, John Ewen, Anna Santure & Patricia Brekke Abstract: Many bird species have been observed shifting their laying date to earlier in the year in response to climate change. However, the vast majority of these studies were performed on nonâ€threatened species, less impacted by reduced genetic […]