The Imperial Dock Lock Special Protection Area (SPA) in Leith Docks on the Firth of Forth currently supports the largest common tern (Sterna hirundo) colony in Scotland. The nest site, a former lock wall in an operational port, was designated as an SPA for the species in 2004 bu…
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This thesis describes a series of experiments investigating the neural underpinnings of the ‘efficacy’ or ‘value’ of food reinforcers in the control of operant behaviour. A number of methods have been devised for measuring reinforcer value. The experiments described in this thes…
The emergence and spread of insecticide resistance compromises the control of mosquito borne diseases that are responsible for millions of deaths every year in tropical and subtropical areas. Mathematical modelling is a valuable tool that can be used to explore different aspects…
The world is facing an unprecedented loss of biodiversity caused by anthropogenic environmental change. Captive breeding and reintroduction can help mitigate the effects of biodiversity loss for some endangered species, but to accomplish this, captive populations need to be self…
Food availability strongly affects avian breeding success. Conflicting results from food supplementation studies have obscured the role of food availability in shaping the life history trajectories of birds. With the popularity of providing food for wild birds increasing, the ef…
Epidemiology strongly parallels the study of ecology, primarily being concerned with the incidence, distribution, reproduction and persistence of species. The spread of disease, or its transmission, is arguably the most important incident studied in epidemiology, underpinning a …
This thesis examined novel and previously utilised parameters of egg quality to determine and define reproductive success in farmed and wild salmonids. The effect of holding environment and inter-female variation on salmonid egg quality was also examined. Furthermore, two nutrit…
In my thesis I investigate the ecology of maternal influences: the unique ability of mothers to influence, via genetic and non-genetic means, the phenotypic expression of their offspring. My research is presented as a series of standalone chapters that are introduced and then su…
This thesis examines visual anti-predator strategies employed by the Lepidoptera. I examine key aspects of pattern and behaviour and how they relate to the reduction of an individual’s predation risk. Symmetrical patterns have been found to be easier to remember and pick out, su…
Nephrops norvegicus is a mid-sized benthic decapod lobster found at depths of between 30-300 metres along the eastern Atlantic coast from Norway to Morocco, and within the Mediterranean sea. They inhabit marine muddy sediments in which they excavate burrow systems and from which…
The role of parasites as agents of selection on their hosts has been well established, but less is known about how parasites facilitate divergence among host populations. In this thesis, I used the three-spined stickleback, Gasterosteus aculeatus, as a model organism to explore …
Energy is the fundamental currency of life that drives organismal growth and development. Energy requirements vary greatly between species but also within species due to differences in physiology, behaviour and life history. The consequence of this variation is of great interest…
Studying the spermatogenesis of horse is beneficial for the horse industry by identifying the causes of chromosomal abnormalities, which cause embryonic loss, congenital abnormalities and infertility. Little is known about the spermatogenesis in horse. This is the first report t…
During the course of this programme of work, two related studies were carried out in collaboration with colleagues in the Division of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology. Together with Hussein Jen-Jan, we explored some hidden costs of an aggressive, proactive life style by examining …
The mammalian gut microbiota is an essential factor in intestinal function and thus overall health. In the post genomic era, culture independent studies into the gut microbiota, particularly that of humans have allowed great leaps forward in knowledge of a once cryptic ecosystem…
Establishing relationships between morphology and behaviour in response to environmental selection pressures are crucial to understand the evolution of diversity within groups such as the hominoids. Muscle architecture (fascicle length and physiological cross-sectional area) fro…
Previous research has hinted at changes in the migratory patterns of seabirds nesting in Scotland, including a decreasing number of Northern Gannets Morus bassanus wintering in the North Sea, and an increase in numbers of Northern Gannets and Great Skuas Stercorarius skua spendi…
Loss of large segments of bone creates critical size defects (CSDs). These fail to heal spontaneously and present major clinical challenges to orthopaedic surgeons. The research described in this thesis is based upon the hypothesis that the healing of CSDs is responsive to the a…