Research News Archive

» Mhc-linked avian malaria resistance in wild great titsApril 15, 2013

A study on great tits published in Proceedings of the Royal Society B shows that individuals with particular functional variants (supertypes) of Mhc are more resistant to two different malaria parasite species common in the environment.

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» The polyandry revolutionJanuary 21, 2013

A themed issue  of Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B edited by Tom Pizzari shows how polyandry is emerging as a lens through which scientists can resolve their understanding of a diverse range of ecological and evolutionary processes, from selfish genetic elements to extinction risk and conservation  Read issue | Press release

» Beaks give clues to co-existence of speciesDecember 12, 2012

A study published in Ecology Letters on the distribution of ovenbirds across South America, shows that only species which diverged long ago and have evolved different beaks are able to co-exist, providing evidence that competition can exclude species at regional scales and over evolutionary time. Read paper | Press release

» Evolutionary divergence in acoustic signalsFebruary 22, 2013

A review published in Trends in Ecology and Evolution sets out a conceptual framework for understanding and testing the processes driving signal divergence and speciation in acoustically communicating animals. Read paper | Front cover

» Fitness consequences of Mhc variation in a wild populationJanuary 15, 2013

A study published in Molecular Ecology demonstrates a link between Mhc supertypes, adult survival and lifetime reproductive success in wild great tits | Read paper

» A new viral disease spreading among tits in the UKNovember 22, 2012

Three new studies published in PLOS ONE document the initial emergence, national spread, and epidemiology of a new form of avian pox that particularly affects great tits. The work is a collaboration between the EGI, the Zoological Society of London, the BTO and the RSPB. | Read media coverage: BBC, Guardian, Independent, Daily Mail, Daily Mirror