D. H. Nussey

Age specific impacts of vegetation functional traits on gastro-intestinal nematode parasite burdens in a large herbivore

The paper examines how vegetation functional traits affect gastro-intestinal nematode parasite burdens in Soay sheep across different age groups, finding spatial and trait-related variations in immature sheep but not in yearlings or adults.

Different helminth parasites show contrasting relationships with age in a wild ungulate

The paper examines age-related changes in helminth parasite infections in wild red deer, finding contrasting trends between strongyle nematodes and liver fluke/tissue worm infections.

Ageing red deer alter their spatial behaviour and become less social

This study shows that older red deer become less socially connected and alter their spatial behavior, indicating age-related changes in social and spatial dynamics in a wild population.

Functionally distinct T-helper cell phenotypes predict resistance to different types of parasites in a wild mammal

The study shows that Th1 and Th2 immune responses predict resistance to different parasites in wild Soay sheep, supporting lab findings in natural settings.

Seasonal dynamics and repeatability of gastrointestinal parasite burdens in wild Soay sheep

This study examines seasonal changes in gastrointestinal parasite burdens in wild Soay sheep, finding differences in seasonality by parasite type and host characteristics.

A mixed model approach for estimating drivers of microbiota community composition and differential taxonomic abundance

This paper introduces a GLMM-based approach to analyze microbiota community composition and differential taxonomic abundance in meta-barcoding data, showing age group better explains gut microbiota variation than season in Soay Sheep.

Vitamin D status is heritable and under environment-dependent selection in the wild.

This study shows that vitamin D status is heritable and under environment-dependent selection in wild Soay sheep, with implications for survival and fecundity.

Life-long telomere attrition predicts health and lifespan in a large mammal

This study shows that lifelong telomere attrition, not initial telomere length, predicts health and lifespan in dairy cattle.

Multiple spatial behaviours govern social network positions in a wild ungulate

The paper uses a 43-year dataset of red deer to show how spatial behaviors and other factors shape social network positions.

Fitness costs of parasites explain multiple life history tradeoffs in a wild mammal

The paper examines how parasite burdens mediate reproductive and fitness tradeoffs in red deer, showing increased parasite counts during lactation correlate with reduced survival and fecundity in the following year.

The fine-scale landscape of immunity and parasitism in a wild ungulate population

The paper examines spatial patterns of immunity and parasitism in red deer, finding significant spatial heterogeneity and seasonal variation in antibody levels and helminth infection.

Reproduction has different costs for immunity and parasitism in a wild mammal

This study examines the relationship between reproduction, immunity, and parasitism in wild female red deer, finding that gestation reduces IgA but not parasitism, while lactation increases parasitism despite no immune cost.