Judith Lock - Academia.edu (original) (raw)
Papers by Judith Lock
Data underpinning thesis 'Optimisation of reintroduction protocols for cryptic species: Reint... more Data underpinning thesis 'Optimisation of reintroduction protocols for cryptic species: Reintroducing the sand lizard Lacerta agilis to a lowland heath site'; behavioural data (Chapter 2), reptile survey data (Chapter 3) individual and demographic sand lizard data (Chapter 4 & 5)
Male status Females laid more eggs in the first 24 hours after pairing when mated to their prefer... more Male status Females laid more eggs in the first 24 hours after pairing when mated to their preferred male (ANOVA F1,62=6.129, P=0.016) RESULTS 2 • If a male provided any care, preferred males were more likely to care than non-preferred males (2 = 3.864, P = 0.049). • Preferred males spent proportionally more time attending their offspring (Wilcoxon sign-rank test z = 2.230, P = 0.026). • Preferred males also provided proportionally more care within their biparental pair (Wilcoxon sign-rank test z = 2.079, P = 0.038).
Parental effects on offspring life-history traitsare common and increasingly well-studied. How-ev... more Parental effects on offspring life-history traitsare common and increasingly well-studied. How-ever, the extent to which these effects persist intooffspring in subsequent generations has receivedless attention. In this experiment, maternal andpaternal effects on offspring and grand-offspringwere investigated in the biparental burying beetleNicrophorus vespilloides, using a split-familydesign. This allowed the separation of prenataland postnatal transgenerational effects. Grand-parent and parent gender were found to have acumulative effect on offspring development andmay provide a selection pressure on the divisionof parental investment in biparental species.Keywords: maternal effect; biparental care;burying beetle1. INTRODUCTIONMaternal effects occur when the phenotype of themother, through the environment she provides, influ-ences the phenotype of her offspring over and abovethe direct effect of transmitted genes [1]. Maternaleffects can be important for evolutionary change inrespon...
Meliora, 2017
Education within green spaces is has pedagogical, social, health and wellbeing benefits. This com... more Education within green spaces is has pedagogical, social, health and wellbeing benefits. This commentary describes the methodology we used to investigate barriers to education in the green spaces of Southampton. We also discuss the challenges we faced when working with teachers and schools, and offer some solutions.
Captive populations provide an opportunity to conserve species at risk of extinction in situ, how... more Captive populations provide an opportunity to conserve species at risk of extinction in situ, however, there is huge variation in captive breeding success. One important aspect may be that the nutritional requirements of a species are not being met. Pterocnemia pennata pennata (Darwin’s rhea), a relatively small ratite native to South America, now maintained at 33 EAZA/ESB institutes across Europe, is one example that is notoriously difficult to breed in captivity due to high infertility and low chick-survival rates. This study aimed to investigate this low breeding success using a two-pronged approach: firstly, a questionnaire to gather information on the husbandry, diets, rearing and past breeding/hatching success at each EAZA institute. Secondly, behavioural fieldwork was conducted at three zoological parks, Whipsnade Zoo (UK) and Mulhouse Zoo (France), each holding a single pair of birds, and Zlin-Lesna Zoo (Czech Republic), holding 11 birds. Instantaneous scan sampling was used...
Biology Letters, 2011
Parental effects on offspring life-history traits are common and increasingly well-studied. Howev... more Parental effects on offspring life-history traits are common and increasingly well-studied. However, the extent to which these effects persist into offspring in subsequent generations has received less attention. In this experiment, maternal and paternal effects on offspring and grand-offspring were investigated in the biparental burying beetle Nicrophorus vespilloides , using a split-family design. This allowed the separation of prenatal and postnatal transgenerational effects. Grandparent and parent gender were found to have a cumulative effect on offspring development and may provide a selection pressure on the division of parental investment in biparental species.
Using an action research model, biology faculty examined, implemented, and evaluated learnercente... more Using an action research model, biology faculty examined, implemented, and evaluated learnercentered instructional strategies to reach the goal of increasing the level of student achievement in the introductory biology course BIO 181: Unity of Life I, which was characterized by both high enrollments and a high DFW rate. Outcomes included the creation and implementation of an assessment tool for biology content knowledge and attitudes, development and implementation of a common syllabus, modification of the course to include learner-centered instructional strategies, and the collection and analysis of data to evaluate the success of the modifications. The redesigned course resulted in greater student success, as measured by grades (reduced %DFW and increased %AB) as well as by achievement in the course assessment tool. In addition, the redesigned course led to increased student satisfaction and greater consistency among different sections. These findings have important implications f...
The American Naturalist, 2007
In a wide variety of species, a female&am... more In a wide variety of species, a female's age of first reproduction influences offspring size and survival, suggesting that there exists an optimal timing of reproduction. Mothers in many species also influence offspring size and survival after birth through variation in parental care. We experimentally separated these effects in the burying beetle Nicrophorus vespilloides to test for coadaptation between prenatal and postnatal maternal effects associated with age at first reproduction. Females that reproduced early produced offspring with lower birth weight. The amount of parental care depended on the age of first reproduction of the caretaker, as did the extent of offspring begging. As predicted for a coadaptation of maternal effects, prenatal and postnatal effects were opposite for different-aged mothers, and larval weight gain and survival was greatest when the age of the caretaker and birth mother matched. Thus, prenatal effects intrinsically associated with age of first reproduction can be ameliorated by innate plasticity in postnatal care. A coadaptation of prenatal and postnatal maternal effects may evolve to allow variable timing of the first reproductive attempt. Such a coadaptation might be particularly valuable when females are constrained from reproducing at an optimal age, as, for example, in species that breed on scarce and unpredictable resources.
The American Naturalist, 2004
Very few studies have examined parent-offspring interactions from a quantitative genetic perspect... more Very few studies have examined parent-offspring interactions from a quantitative genetic perspective. We used a crossfostering design and measured genetic correlations and components of social selection arising from two parental and two offspring behaviors in the burying beetle Nicrophorus vespilloides. Genetic correlations were assessed by examining behavior of relatives independent of common social influences. We found positive genetic correlations between all pairs of behaviors, including between parent and offspring behaviors. Patterns of selection were assessed by standardized performance and selection gradients. Parental provisioning had positive effects on offspring performance and fitness, while remaining near the larvae without feeding them had negative effects. Begging had positive effects on offspring performance and fitness, while increased competition among siblings had negative effects. Coadaptations between parenting and offspring behavior appear to be maintained by genetic correlations and functional trade-offs; parents that feed their offspring more also spend more time in the area where they can forage for themselves. Families with high levels of begging have high levels of sibling competition. Integrating information from genetics and selection thus provides a general explanation for why variation persists in seemingly beneficial traits expressed in parent-offspring interactions and illustrates why it is important to measure functionally related suites of behaviors.
Cell Biology Education, 2011
Using an action research model, biology faculty examined, implemented, and evaluated learner-cent... more Using an action research model, biology faculty examined, implemented, and evaluated learner-centered instructional strategies to reach the goal of increasing the level of student achievement in the introductory biology course BIO 181: Unity of Life I, which was characterized by both high enrollments and a high DFW rate. Outcomes included the creation and implementation of an assessment tool for biology content knowledge and attitudes, development and implementation of a common syllabus, modification of the course to include learner-centered instructional strategies, and the collection and analysis of data to evaluate the success of the modifications. The redesigned course resulted in greater student success, as measured by grades (reduced %DFW and increased %AB) as well as by achievement in the course assessment tool. In addition, the redesigned course led to increased student satisfaction and greater consistency among different sections. These findings have important implications for both students and institutions, as the significantly lower DFW rate means that fewer students have to retake the course.
Captive populations provide an opportunity to conserve species at risk of extinction in situ, how... more Captive populations provide an opportunity to conserve species at risk of extinction in situ, however, there is huge variation in captive breeding success. One important aspect may be that the nutritional requirements of a species are not being met. Pterocnemia pennata pennata (Darwin’s rhea), a relatively small ratite native to South America, now maintained at 33 EAZA/ESB institutes across Europe, is one example that is notoriously difficult to breed in captivity due to high infertility and low chick-survival rates. This study aimed to investigate this low breeding success using a two-pronged approach: firstly, a questionnaire to gather information on the husbandry, diets, rearing and past breeding/hatching success at each EAZA institute. Secondly, behavioural fieldwork was conducted at three zoological parks, Whipsnade Zoo (UK) and Mulhouse Zoo (France), each holding a single pair of birds, and Zlin-Lesna Zoo (Czech Republic), holding 11 birds. Instantaneous scan sampling was used...
Conference Presentations by Judith Lock
This research formed my 3rd year undergraduate dissertation project and I presented it at the Bri... more This research formed my 3rd year undergraduate dissertation project and I presented it at the British Ecological Society Annual General Meeting Conference 2016, which generated media interest in the project:
Live Radio Interviews -
BBC Radio 4 Today (54:27) http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b08501x6
BBC Radio 5 Live http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p04lj07x
BBC Radio Solent (58:07) http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p04h9znm#play
BBC Radio Scotland, and continuing interest from other stations
News Articles -
BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-38317255
BBC Wildlife Magazine http://www.discoverwildlife.com/news/robins-are-less-aggressive-hood
and interest from the Telegraph and Daily Mail
Abstract:
Urban strongholds of wildlife are essential as human activities continue to encroach upon natural habitat. As such, research into anthropogenic influence on extrinsic factors and the fitness (dis)advantages they may confer in an animal’s territory is becoming increasingly important in modern-day conservation efforts. In contesting for territories, a hierarchy is established whereby each male occupies a territory of equivalent quality to their competitive ability. The robin, being a species that begin activity earlier relative to sunrise than most other European songbirds, is thought to be more sensitive to the impacts of urban living. This study aimed to assess the effects of artificial lighting, noise, and environmental factors, as components of territory quality, on the dominance hierarchy of an urban population of European robins. In 23 territories, light intensity, noise level, and habitat variables were measured. A taxidermy robin decoy and song recording enticed an intruder response in the wild robins and degree of behavioural aggression was measured as a proxy for hierarchical position.
Hierarchical position was shown to significantly increase with average tree age. This suggests that resources or conditions provided by old trees are important positive drivers of fitness in the robins, perhaps via the availability of refugia and dead wood in which to forage for insects.
The principal relationship highlighted was a decline in hierarchical position with increasing intensity of artificial light at night and day-time noise level, however secondary analysis suggests that only night-time light intensity is a significant factor. It can be inferred from this that artificial lighting has notable negative fitness implications for the robins, likely by desynchronizing the endogenous circadian rhythm incurring downstream energetic and fitness costs. This may include advancing both dawn and dusk song, affecting the timing of departure from stopover sites during migration, and disorientating magnetoreception capabilities during migration.
Books by Judith Lock
Proceedings of the 2nd International Conference on the Use of iPads in Higher Education, 2017
The second International Conference on the Use of iPads in Higher Education, hosted at the Univer... more The second International Conference on the Use of iPads in Higher Education, hosted at the University of San Francisco in San Francisco, California, featured 38 sessions over the course of three days, March 16-18, 2016. Sessions included insightful and inspiring keynote speaker presentations, formal reports of research and iPad implementation activities, exploratory working sessions, and skill-based, hands-on workshops. Attendees represented 28 US states and 11 countries across five continents in diverse roles such as researchers, faculty, administrators, IT specialists, and students from a wide variety of academic disciplines.
Data underpinning thesis 'Optimisation of reintroduction protocols for cryptic species: Reint... more Data underpinning thesis 'Optimisation of reintroduction protocols for cryptic species: Reintroducing the sand lizard Lacerta agilis to a lowland heath site'; behavioural data (Chapter 2), reptile survey data (Chapter 3) individual and demographic sand lizard data (Chapter 4 & 5)
Male status Females laid more eggs in the first 24 hours after pairing when mated to their prefer... more Male status Females laid more eggs in the first 24 hours after pairing when mated to their preferred male (ANOVA F1,62=6.129, P=0.016) RESULTS 2 • If a male provided any care, preferred males were more likely to care than non-preferred males (2 = 3.864, P = 0.049). • Preferred males spent proportionally more time attending their offspring (Wilcoxon sign-rank test z = 2.230, P = 0.026). • Preferred males also provided proportionally more care within their biparental pair (Wilcoxon sign-rank test z = 2.079, P = 0.038).
Parental effects on offspring life-history traitsare common and increasingly well-studied. How-ev... more Parental effects on offspring life-history traitsare common and increasingly well-studied. How-ever, the extent to which these effects persist intooffspring in subsequent generations has receivedless attention. In this experiment, maternal andpaternal effects on offspring and grand-offspringwere investigated in the biparental burying beetleNicrophorus vespilloides, using a split-familydesign. This allowed the separation of prenataland postnatal transgenerational effects. Grand-parent and parent gender were found to have acumulative effect on offspring development andmay provide a selection pressure on the divisionof parental investment in biparental species.Keywords: maternal effect; biparental care;burying beetle1. INTRODUCTIONMaternal effects occur when the phenotype of themother, through the environment she provides, influ-ences the phenotype of her offspring over and abovethe direct effect of transmitted genes [1]. Maternaleffects can be important for evolutionary change inrespon...
Meliora, 2017
Education within green spaces is has pedagogical, social, health and wellbeing benefits. This com... more Education within green spaces is has pedagogical, social, health and wellbeing benefits. This commentary describes the methodology we used to investigate barriers to education in the green spaces of Southampton. We also discuss the challenges we faced when working with teachers and schools, and offer some solutions.
Captive populations provide an opportunity to conserve species at risk of extinction in situ, how... more Captive populations provide an opportunity to conserve species at risk of extinction in situ, however, there is huge variation in captive breeding success. One important aspect may be that the nutritional requirements of a species are not being met. Pterocnemia pennata pennata (Darwin’s rhea), a relatively small ratite native to South America, now maintained at 33 EAZA/ESB institutes across Europe, is one example that is notoriously difficult to breed in captivity due to high infertility and low chick-survival rates. This study aimed to investigate this low breeding success using a two-pronged approach: firstly, a questionnaire to gather information on the husbandry, diets, rearing and past breeding/hatching success at each EAZA institute. Secondly, behavioural fieldwork was conducted at three zoological parks, Whipsnade Zoo (UK) and Mulhouse Zoo (France), each holding a single pair of birds, and Zlin-Lesna Zoo (Czech Republic), holding 11 birds. Instantaneous scan sampling was used...
Biology Letters, 2011
Parental effects on offspring life-history traits are common and increasingly well-studied. Howev... more Parental effects on offspring life-history traits are common and increasingly well-studied. However, the extent to which these effects persist into offspring in subsequent generations has received less attention. In this experiment, maternal and paternal effects on offspring and grand-offspring were investigated in the biparental burying beetle Nicrophorus vespilloides , using a split-family design. This allowed the separation of prenatal and postnatal transgenerational effects. Grandparent and parent gender were found to have a cumulative effect on offspring development and may provide a selection pressure on the division of parental investment in biparental species.
Using an action research model, biology faculty examined, implemented, and evaluated learnercente... more Using an action research model, biology faculty examined, implemented, and evaluated learnercentered instructional strategies to reach the goal of increasing the level of student achievement in the introductory biology course BIO 181: Unity of Life I, which was characterized by both high enrollments and a high DFW rate. Outcomes included the creation and implementation of an assessment tool for biology content knowledge and attitudes, development and implementation of a common syllabus, modification of the course to include learner-centered instructional strategies, and the collection and analysis of data to evaluate the success of the modifications. The redesigned course resulted in greater student success, as measured by grades (reduced %DFW and increased %AB) as well as by achievement in the course assessment tool. In addition, the redesigned course led to increased student satisfaction and greater consistency among different sections. These findings have important implications f...
The American Naturalist, 2007
In a wide variety of species, a female&am... more In a wide variety of species, a female's age of first reproduction influences offspring size and survival, suggesting that there exists an optimal timing of reproduction. Mothers in many species also influence offspring size and survival after birth through variation in parental care. We experimentally separated these effects in the burying beetle Nicrophorus vespilloides to test for coadaptation between prenatal and postnatal maternal effects associated with age at first reproduction. Females that reproduced early produced offspring with lower birth weight. The amount of parental care depended on the age of first reproduction of the caretaker, as did the extent of offspring begging. As predicted for a coadaptation of maternal effects, prenatal and postnatal effects were opposite for different-aged mothers, and larval weight gain and survival was greatest when the age of the caretaker and birth mother matched. Thus, prenatal effects intrinsically associated with age of first reproduction can be ameliorated by innate plasticity in postnatal care. A coadaptation of prenatal and postnatal maternal effects may evolve to allow variable timing of the first reproductive attempt. Such a coadaptation might be particularly valuable when females are constrained from reproducing at an optimal age, as, for example, in species that breed on scarce and unpredictable resources.
The American Naturalist, 2004
Very few studies have examined parent-offspring interactions from a quantitative genetic perspect... more Very few studies have examined parent-offspring interactions from a quantitative genetic perspective. We used a crossfostering design and measured genetic correlations and components of social selection arising from two parental and two offspring behaviors in the burying beetle Nicrophorus vespilloides. Genetic correlations were assessed by examining behavior of relatives independent of common social influences. We found positive genetic correlations between all pairs of behaviors, including between parent and offspring behaviors. Patterns of selection were assessed by standardized performance and selection gradients. Parental provisioning had positive effects on offspring performance and fitness, while remaining near the larvae without feeding them had negative effects. Begging had positive effects on offspring performance and fitness, while increased competition among siblings had negative effects. Coadaptations between parenting and offspring behavior appear to be maintained by genetic correlations and functional trade-offs; parents that feed their offspring more also spend more time in the area where they can forage for themselves. Families with high levels of begging have high levels of sibling competition. Integrating information from genetics and selection thus provides a general explanation for why variation persists in seemingly beneficial traits expressed in parent-offspring interactions and illustrates why it is important to measure functionally related suites of behaviors.
Cell Biology Education, 2011
Using an action research model, biology faculty examined, implemented, and evaluated learner-cent... more Using an action research model, biology faculty examined, implemented, and evaluated learner-centered instructional strategies to reach the goal of increasing the level of student achievement in the introductory biology course BIO 181: Unity of Life I, which was characterized by both high enrollments and a high DFW rate. Outcomes included the creation and implementation of an assessment tool for biology content knowledge and attitudes, development and implementation of a common syllabus, modification of the course to include learner-centered instructional strategies, and the collection and analysis of data to evaluate the success of the modifications. The redesigned course resulted in greater student success, as measured by grades (reduced %DFW and increased %AB) as well as by achievement in the course assessment tool. In addition, the redesigned course led to increased student satisfaction and greater consistency among different sections. These findings have important implications for both students and institutions, as the significantly lower DFW rate means that fewer students have to retake the course.
Captive populations provide an opportunity to conserve species at risk of extinction in situ, how... more Captive populations provide an opportunity to conserve species at risk of extinction in situ, however, there is huge variation in captive breeding success. One important aspect may be that the nutritional requirements of a species are not being met. Pterocnemia pennata pennata (Darwin’s rhea), a relatively small ratite native to South America, now maintained at 33 EAZA/ESB institutes across Europe, is one example that is notoriously difficult to breed in captivity due to high infertility and low chick-survival rates. This study aimed to investigate this low breeding success using a two-pronged approach: firstly, a questionnaire to gather information on the husbandry, diets, rearing and past breeding/hatching success at each EAZA institute. Secondly, behavioural fieldwork was conducted at three zoological parks, Whipsnade Zoo (UK) and Mulhouse Zoo (France), each holding a single pair of birds, and Zlin-Lesna Zoo (Czech Republic), holding 11 birds. Instantaneous scan sampling was used...
This research formed my 3rd year undergraduate dissertation project and I presented it at the Bri... more This research formed my 3rd year undergraduate dissertation project and I presented it at the British Ecological Society Annual General Meeting Conference 2016, which generated media interest in the project:
Live Radio Interviews -
BBC Radio 4 Today (54:27) http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b08501x6
BBC Radio 5 Live http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p04lj07x
BBC Radio Solent (58:07) http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p04h9znm#play
BBC Radio Scotland, and continuing interest from other stations
News Articles -
BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-38317255
BBC Wildlife Magazine http://www.discoverwildlife.com/news/robins-are-less-aggressive-hood
and interest from the Telegraph and Daily Mail
Abstract:
Urban strongholds of wildlife are essential as human activities continue to encroach upon natural habitat. As such, research into anthropogenic influence on extrinsic factors and the fitness (dis)advantages they may confer in an animal’s territory is becoming increasingly important in modern-day conservation efforts. In contesting for territories, a hierarchy is established whereby each male occupies a territory of equivalent quality to their competitive ability. The robin, being a species that begin activity earlier relative to sunrise than most other European songbirds, is thought to be more sensitive to the impacts of urban living. This study aimed to assess the effects of artificial lighting, noise, and environmental factors, as components of territory quality, on the dominance hierarchy of an urban population of European robins. In 23 territories, light intensity, noise level, and habitat variables were measured. A taxidermy robin decoy and song recording enticed an intruder response in the wild robins and degree of behavioural aggression was measured as a proxy for hierarchical position.
Hierarchical position was shown to significantly increase with average tree age. This suggests that resources or conditions provided by old trees are important positive drivers of fitness in the robins, perhaps via the availability of refugia and dead wood in which to forage for insects.
The principal relationship highlighted was a decline in hierarchical position with increasing intensity of artificial light at night and day-time noise level, however secondary analysis suggests that only night-time light intensity is a significant factor. It can be inferred from this that artificial lighting has notable negative fitness implications for the robins, likely by desynchronizing the endogenous circadian rhythm incurring downstream energetic and fitness costs. This may include advancing both dawn and dusk song, affecting the timing of departure from stopover sites during migration, and disorientating magnetoreception capabilities during migration.
Proceedings of the 2nd International Conference on the Use of iPads in Higher Education, 2017
The second International Conference on the Use of iPads in Higher Education, hosted at the Univer... more The second International Conference on the Use of iPads in Higher Education, hosted at the University of San Francisco in San Francisco, California, featured 38 sessions over the course of three days, March 16-18, 2016. Sessions included insightful and inspiring keynote speaker presentations, formal reports of research and iPad implementation activities, exploratory working sessions, and skill-based, hands-on workshops. Attendees represented 28 US states and 11 countries across five continents in diverse roles such as researchers, faculty, administrators, IT specialists, and students from a wide variety of academic disciplines.