* NEW #PhD * #Evolution #Ecology of Immune #Senesence in Wild Badgers - exciting project with me, @btschirren.bsky.social & our awesome collaborators @ APHA. Based at @exetercec.bsky.social in Cornwall, UK.
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See www.animalsocieties.org and apply: www.exeter.ac.uk/study/fundin...
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2/3 We show helpers reduce mum's post-natal workload (see pic) – may allow mums to invest > in egg (which only mums can do). And/or: We know helpers increase overall nestling feeding rate (tinyurl.com/38kv8jp2) - may increase mum's benefit from investing in the egg. Or: not adaptive (modest effect!)

*New #evolution paper* Sparrow-weaver mothers lay larger eggs when they will have more help feeding the resulting chicks. Maternal reaction norms to help are *opposite* for egg size & nestling feeding rate. Cool. But why do this? 1 of 3... Fine work @p_capi on X. tinyurl.com/2djsp6zd #ExeterCEC 🌍🧪🦉

#HiSky! My lab study Social #Evolution & Senescence in families via..
- Fieldwork on birds (Kalahari weavers) & mammals (badgers)
- Single-cell res studies of #microbes
We dig unicellular #ageing, parental age effects, #inflammaging, #cooperation in variable enviros, social plasticity 🌍🧪🦠 #ExeterCEC