Dr. Kenneth Wilson

NERC Advanced Research Fellow

PhD - University of Sheffield (1989)
BSc - University of Nottingam (1985)

Institute of Biological Sciences
University of Stirling
Stirling
Scotland, FK9 4LA

tel: +44 1786 467807
fax: +44 1786 464994
email: ken.wilson@stir.ac.uk

Research Interests

My research interests span the fields of evolutionary biology, population dynamics, epidemiology and behavioural ecology. My current research is focused on two species: the African armyworm moth (Spodoptera exempta), which is a major crop pest in eastern Africa; and Soay sheep (Ovis aries), which live on the Scottish island group of St. Kilda. Using these species, I am trying to address the following questions:
  1. What role do parasites and pathogens play in the evolution of  insect life-histories?
  2. What are the effect of nematode parasites on the evolution and dynamics of large mammals?
  3. What determines mating success in highly promiscuous mammals?

Recent Publications

Preston, BT, Stevenson, IR, Pemberton, JM & Wilson, K (in press) Sperm depletion constrains male reproductive success in a promiscuous mammal. Nature 406.

Coltman, D, Wilson, K, Pilkington, JG, Stear, MJ & Pemberton, JM (in press) A microsatellite polymorphism in the gamma interferon gene is associated with resistance to gastrointestinal nematodes in a naturally-parasitised population of Soay sheep. Parasitology 122.

Grenfell BT, Finkenstadt BF, Wilson, K, Coulson TN & Crawley MJ  (2000) Reply: Nonlinearity and the Moran effect. Nature 406: 847.

Reeson, AF, Wilson, K, Cory, J.S., Hankard, P, Weeks, JM, Goulson, D & Hails, RS (2000) Effects of phenotypic plasticity on pathogen transmission in the field in a Lepidoptera-NPV system. Oecologia 124: 373-380.

Wilson, K. (2000) How the locust got its stripes: the evolution of density-dependent aposematism. Trends in Ecology and Evolution 14: 88-90

White, K.A.J. & Wilson, K (1999) Modelling density-dependent resistance in insect-pathogen interactions.  Theoretical Population Biology. 56: 163-181

Smith, J.A., Wilson, K, Pilkington, J.G. & Pemberton, J.M. (1999) Heritable variation to gastrointestinal nematodes in an unmanaged mammal population. Proceedings of the Royal society, Series B. 266: 1283-1290

Owens, I.P.F. & Wilson, K (1999) Immunocompetence: a neglected life history trait or conspicuous red herring? Trends in Ecology and Evolution 14: 170-172

Reeson, AF, Wilson, K, Gunn, A, Hails, RS & Goulson, D (1998) Baculovirus resistance in the noctuid Spodoptera exempta is phenotypically plastic and responds to population density. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London, Series B 265: 1787-1791

Grenfell BT, Wilson, K, Finkenstadt BF, Coulson TN, Murray S, Albon SD, Pemberton JM, Clutton-Brock TH & Crawley MJ  (1998) Noise and determinism in synchronised sheep dynamics. Nature 394: 674-677

Paterson, S., Wilson, K., & Pemberton, J.M. (1998) Major histocompatibility complex variation associated with juvenile survival and parasite resistance in a large unmanaged ungulate population (Ovis aries L.). Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 95: 3714-3719.

Wilson, K. & Reeson, A.F. (1998) Density-dependent prophylaxis: evidence from Lepidoptera-baculovirus interactions? Ecological Entomology 23: 101-101.

Links

Expanded CV and publications list

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