Publications by authors named "L Brent"
Article Synopsis
- Climate change is increasing extreme weather events, which can impact animal social structures and affect disease spread.
- By studying rhesus macaques before and after a hurricane, research shows that disease transmission rates can double for up to 5 years post-disaster.
- The hurricane changed how infection risk is spread within the population, highlighting that natural disasters not only threaten wildlife health but also pose risks of disease spilling over to humans.
Article Synopsis
- The study investigates how genetic variations that influence gene regulation, specifically through DNA methylation, contribute to differences in traits among rhesus macaques on Cayo Santiago Island, Puerto Rico.
- Researchers utilized bisulfite sequencing to assess DNA methylation at over 555,000 CpG sites across 573 macaque blood samples, discovering significant genetic effects on methylation levels from single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs).
- Findings revealed that 69.12% of the investigated CpGs had a genetic influence on their methylation (meQTL), which were predominantly located in regions associated with gene expression, highlighting genetic factors that drive phenotypic diversity in these primates.
Article Synopsis
- Earth's older animals are declining, but research shows they play crucial roles in cultural and ecological processes.
- Older individuals contribute significantly to reproduction, information sharing, and resilience against disturbances, challenging the traditional view that focuses solely on the downsides of aging.
- Protecting long-lived animals is important for maintaining their ecological roles and the services they provide to ecosystems.
Early life adversity has sex-dependent effects on survival across the lifespan in rhesus macaques.
Sam K Patterson Ella Andonov Alyssa M Arre Melween I Martínez Josué E Negron-Del Valle Lauren J N Brent
Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci
December 2024
Exposure to early life adversity is linked to detrimental fitness outcomes across taxa. Owing to the challenges of collecting longitudinal data, direct evidence for long-term fitness effects of early life adversity from long-lived species remains relatively scarce. Here, we test the effects of early life adversity on male and female longevity in a free-ranging population of rhesus macaques () on Cayo Santiago, Puerto Rico.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFUnderstanding age and society using natural populations.
Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci
December 2024
Article Synopsis
- Ageing is a significant process that impacts both human and non-human animals, affecting social behaviour and societal structures across various species.
- The article presents new research that combines evolutionary biology, behavioral ecology, and demography to explore how individual aging influences social networks, disease spread, and overall fitness within natural populations.
- Key themes discussed include the effects of social structures on lifespan and health, genetic and ecological factors influencing social ageing, and the diverse strategies species use to adapt to ageing, emphasizing the need for interdisciplinary research in this area.