Publications by authors named "J Dee Higley"

Theory suggests that animals make hierarchical, multiscale resource selection decisions to address the hierarchy of factors limiting their fitness. Ecologists have developed tools to link population-level resource selection across scales; yet, theoretical expectations about the relationship between coarse- and fine-scale selection decisions at the individual level remain elusive despite their importance to fitness. With GPS-telemetry data collected across California, USA, we evaluated resource selection of mountain lions (Puma concolor; n = 244) relative to spatial variation in human-caused mortality risk.

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Aberrant functioning of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis is a hallmark of conditions such as depression, anxiety disorders, and post-traumatic stress disorder. Early-life adversity and genetic variation can interaction to disrupt HPA axis regulation, potentially contributing to certain forms of psychopathology. This study employs a rhesus macaque model to investigate how early parental neglect interacts with a single nucleotide polymorphism within the promoter region of the corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH-248) gene, impacting the development of the HPA axis.

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Behavioral inhibition (BI), a temperamental trait first described by Jerome Kagan, is characterized by wariness to unfamiliar persons and novel situations. BI is a moderately stable trait, with biological and genetic underpinnings. Kagan's methodology for assessing BI is widely used in humans.

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Studies show that maternal behaviors are mediated by the bivariate serotonin transporter (5-HTT) genotype, although the findings are mixed, with some studies showing that mothers with the s allele exhibit increased maternal sensitivity, while other studies show that mothers with the s allele show decreased maternal sensitivity. Nonhuman primate studies offer increased control over extraneous variables and may contribute to a better understanding of the effects of the 5-HTT genotype on maternal sensitivity. This study assesses the influence of 5-HTT genotype variation on maternal sensitivity in parenting in 125 rhesus macaque mothers (Macaca mulatta) during the first three-months of their infants' lives, an age well before typical infants undergo weaning.

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Over the last four decades, Barred Owls (Strix varia) have expanded their range to include much of western North America, including California. This expansion is suspected to have contributed to declining populations of a closely related species, the federally threatened Northern Spotted Owl (Strix occidentalis caurina). As a result, understanding potential health threats to Barred Owls has implications for Spotted Owl health and recovery.

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