Transposons in the Williams-Beuren Syndrome Critical Region are Associated with Social Behavior in Assistance Dogs.

A strong signature of selection in the domestic dog genome is found in a five-megabase region of chromosome six in which four structural variants derived from transposons have previously been associated with human-oriented social behavior, such as attentional bias to social stimuli and social interest in strangers. To explore these genetic associations in more phenotypic detail-as well as their role in training success in a specialized assistance dog program-we genotyped 1001 assistance dogs from Canine Companions for Independence®, including both successful graduates and dogs released from the training program for behaviors incompatible with their working role. We collected phenotypes on each dog using puppy-raiser questionnaires, trainer questionnaires, and both cognitive and behavioral tests.

The social microbiome: gut microbiome diversity and abundance are negatively associated with sociality in a wild mammal.

The gut microbiome has a well-documented relationship with host fitness. Greater microbial diversity and abundance of specific microbes have been associated with improved fitness outcomes. Intestinal microbes also may be associated with patterns of social behaviour.

Wading bird foraging on a wetland landscape: a comparison of two strategies.

Tactile-feeding wading birds, such as wood storks and white ibises, require high densities of prey such as small fishes and crayfish to support themselves and their offspring during the breeding season. Prey availability in wetlands is often determined by seasonal hydrologic pulsing, such as in the subtropical Everglades, where spatial distributions of prey can vary through time, becoming heterogeneously clumped in patches, such as ponds or sloughs, as the wetland dries out. In this mathematical modeling study, we selected two possible foraging strategies to examine how they impact total energetic intake over a time scale of one day.

Simple criteria for finding (nearly) optimal vaccination strategies.

Strategies for best controlling the spread of the diseases with limited vaccine available are explored. I use influenza as a representative disease in point. The model describes the dynamics of influenza spread among multiple groups that have different risks and activity levels.