Publications by authors named "R A Symmons"
The 10,000-year biocultural history of fallow deer and its implications for conservation policy.
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A
February 2024
Article Synopsis
- - Over the past 10,000 years, humans have actively influenced fallow deer populations, leading to various outcomes, including the endangered Persian fallow deer and the widespread European fallow deer, which holds unique statuses in different regions.
- - Genetic and archaeological studies reveal that European fallow deer have two main genetic groups in Anatolia and the Balkans, which served as their primary glacial refuges, and demonstrate how humans translocated these deer across regions, often sourcing them from distant populations.
- - The historical movement of fallow deer, influenced by myths and cultural practices, highlights the complexity between wild and domestic species, providing insights that could inform modern wildlife management strategies.
The pronounced growth in livestock populations since the 1950s has altered the epidemiological and evolutionary trajectory of their associated pathogens. For example, Marek's disease virus (MDV), which causes lymphoid tumors in chickens, has experienced a marked increase in virulence over the past century. Today, MDV infections kill >90% of unvaccinated birds, and controlling it costs more than US$1 billion annually.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFDomestic cats were derived from the Near Eastern wildcat (Felis lybica), after which they dispersed with people into Europe. As they did so, it is possible that they interbred with the indigenous population of European wildcats (Felis silvestris). Gene flow between incoming domestic animals and closely related indigenous wild species has been previously demonstrated in other taxa, including pigs, sheep, goats, bees, chickens, and cattle.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe history of the British Isles and Ireland is characterized by multiple periods of major cultural change, including the influential transformation after the end of Roman rule, which precipitated shifts in language, settlement patterns and material culture. The extent to which migration from continental Europe mediated these transitions is a matter of long-standing debate. Here we study genome-wide ancient DNA from 460 medieval northwestern Europeans-including 278 individuals from England-alongside archaeological data, to infer contemporary population dynamics.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF