Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Parasite-associated polymorphism in a cyclic ungulate population

F M Gulland1, S D Albon, J M Pemberton

  • 1Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, U.K.

Proceedings. Biological Sciences
|October 22, 1993
PubMed
Summary

Gastrointestinal nematodes impact Soay sheep survival during population crashes. Specific adenosine deaminase (Ada) genotypes influence both parasite burden and mortality risk, suggesting parasite-driven selection maintains Ada allele frequencies.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Satellite-Derived NDVI Predicts Forage Availability in a Wild Ungulate System: Ground-Truthing Using Field-Collected Vegetation Biomass.

Ecology and evolution·2026
Same author

Climate change effects on terrestrial parasitic nematodes: Where are the knowledge gaps?

Journal of helminthology·2023
Same author

Using genomic prediction to detect microevolutionary change of a quantitative trait.

Proceedings. Biological sciences·2022
Same author

Genetic architecture and lifetime dynamics of inbreeding depression in a wild mammal.

Nature communications·2021
Same author

Within-trio tests provide little support for post-copulatory selection on major histocompatibility complex haplotypes in a free-living population.

Proceedings. Biological sciences·2021
Same author

Senescence in immunity against helminth parasites predicts adult mortality in a wild mammal.

Science (New York, N.Y.)·2019

Area of Science:

  • Population dynamics
  • Parasitology
  • Genetics

Background:

  • Soay sheep populations on St. Kilda exhibit cyclical instability.
  • Population crashes are linked to winter food scarcity.
  • Gastrointestinal nematodes are prevalent in this sheep population.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the role of gastrointestinal nematodes in Soay sheep population dynamics.
  • To determine if adenosine deaminase (Ada) genotypes affect sheep survival during population crashes.
  • To explore the relationship between Ada genotypes and nematode burdens.

Main Methods:

  • Experimental nematode removal in Soay sheep.
  • Monitoring survival rates during population crashes.
  • Genotyping sheep at the adenosine deaminase (Ada) locus.

Related Experiment Videos

  • Quantifying fecal nematode egg counts across different genotypes and seasons.

    • Main Results:

    • Sheep experimentally treated for nematodes showed improved survival during population crashes.
    • Mortality rates during crashes varied significantly among Ada genotypes (FF, SS, FS).
    • Nematode burdens differed significantly between Ada genotypes, with variations observed in females and males across seasons.

    Conclusions:

    • Nematode parasites contribute to Soay sheep mortality during population crashes.
    • Parasite-associated selection acting on the adenosine deaminase (Ada) locus may maintain allele frequencies in the population.