I was professor of animal science at the University of Lincoln, UK, from 1997 to 2012. I now have emeritus status and since 2016 have been Visiting Lecturer at the Estonian University of Life Sciences. Prior to 1997 I worked at Cambridge University (Physiological Laboratory, then Dept. of Clinical Veterinary Medicine), at CNRS (France) and at Overseas Development Institute (ODI, London). Supervisors: Professor Peter A. Jewell and Professor Don M. Broom
... Of the 113watches, 12 spanned dawn or dusk and for much of the analysis these were each consi... more ... Of the 113watches, 12 spanned dawn or dusk and for much of the analysis these were each considered ... A full account of the vege-tation survey is available from me ... the Indian rhino-ceros (a relatively solitary animal, breeding all year round), found that 'tusk displays' couldeither ...
The Chillingham Wild White Cattle have a unique place in the British fauna. They are one of the v... more The Chillingham Wild White Cattle have a unique place in the British fauna. They are one of the very few herds of cattle anywhere in the world that have a natural sex ratio and age distribution, and there is no castration nor culling. This article looks at the herd from a veterinary point of view. Livestock and wildlife legislation in the UK was not drafted with freeliving cattle in mind, and this article outlines the steps that are taken to ensure compliance.
SummaryCharacterisations are given of the little-known Sabi sheep and the local population of the... more SummaryCharacterisations are given of the little-known Sabi sheep and the local population of the Small East African goat in two areas in NE Zimbabwe. The southern area had been more affected by drought in 1991–92. For sheep (both areas combined; n = 28 in 10 flocks) the mean declared age of breeding females and the median age at first parturition were surprisingly high (6.1 years and 4 years respectively). Breeding female goats in the southern area were younger (4.9 vs. 6.4 years), and their age at first kidding was lower (3 years vs. 5 years), than in the north (n = 122 in 25 flocks total). These advanced ages could be an after-effect of the drought. Juvenile mortality and the proportions of young that were ultimately marketed were similar to what has been found elsewhere in semi-arid Africa. Breeding females were found to be smaller than their counterparts in semi-arid areas in West Africa with mean withers heights of 56.5 cm (n = 112 goats) and 60.4 cm (n = 36 sheep). Conditions in this area appear difficult for small ruminants and the populations sampled may be well adapted to marginal environments and thus worthy of conservation.
Three hundred and eighty‐three Clethrionomys glareolus from 20 localities in England, Wales and S... more Three hundred and eighty‐three Clethrionomys glareolus from 20 localities in England, Wales and Scotland were typed for plasma esterase and a genetic polymorphism was discovered. The esterase was named Es‐1. Breeding tests suggested that three alleles were segregating: Es‐1o when homozygous results in complete absence of enzyme activity. The active alleles Es‐1f and Es‐1s code for enzyme variants which migrate more rapidly and less rapidly, respectively, under starch gel electrophoresis. Of these active alleles, Es‐1f is morc common in the north of Britain and Es‐18 in the south. A 23‐month field study on two areas at Wicken Fen, Cambridgeshire, suggested that animals possessing Es‐1s survived less well at high population densities, perhaps through their being more likely to emigrate.
The degree of assistance provided at 1353 calvings from 954 heifers and cows of nine breeds of Br... more The degree of assistance provided at 1353 calvings from 954 heifers and cows of nine breeds of British cattle (Ayrshire, British White, Dexter, Friesian/Holstein type, Gloucester, Kerry, Longhorn, Shetland and White Park) was recorded and analysed in terms of the dimensions of the dam and the calf. The sires had been chosen in accordance with normal farming practice. A heavy calf did not lead to dystocia. Assistance at calving was most frequently provided in the Ayrshire herd, which was used for veterinary teaching. There were very few difficult calvings in the seven rare breeds, but this was as likely to have been due to management policy as to the breed characteristics. A large tuber coxae measurement was associated with ease of calving, particularly in the Dexter. The breeds showed a wide range of pelvic dimensions and therefore provide a source of genetic variation.
The present study tests the hypothesis that the habitat of the globally extinct aurochs Bos primi... more The present study tests the hypothesis that the habitat of the globally extinct aurochs Bos primigenius was primarily riverine flat‐lands. Landscape features in Britain were analyzed for sites with Late Pleistocene and postglacial finds of aurochs (n=188), and, for comparison, wolf (101), brown bear (96), red deer (73), beaver (68), roe deer (46) and moose (23). Find sites were defined as Ordnance Survey 1 km map squares containing 1 or more finds. For each, spot height above sea level, heights of contour lines, flatness of terrain, total length of watercourses, and presence of woods, rock and water features were noted. Comparisons of find sites among species (Kruskal‐Wallis test) show significant differences that accord with knowledge of present‐day habitat preferences at the landscape level. Considering the species separately each find site was then compared with a randomly selected control map square within 10 km. Compared with their respective control squares, find sites of beaver have, today, a stronger association with presence of lakes; those of brown bear and wolf with presence of cliffs and rock outcrops; and those of aurochs with absence of woodland and with lower elevation and greater flatness. The concordance of these findings with the present‐day habitats of the extant species suggests valid inferences can be made about the habitat preference of the extinct aurochs. On this basis the aurochs appears, as hypothesized, to have selected low‐lying, flat ground, which (indicated by its present‐day use for purposes other than woodland) was relatively fertile.
The predisposition of keeshonds (Dutch barge dogs) to an idiopathic epilepsy appears to be determ... more The predisposition of keeshonds (Dutch barge dogs) to an idiopathic epilepsy appears to be determined by a single autosomal recessive gene. The pedigrees of 15 litters which included animals diagnosed as epileptic (‘fitters’) were compared with those of 34 contemporary, normal animals. The pedigrees of all the fitters traced back, on both the paternal and maternal sides, to a common ancestor. Subsequently, further pedigrees and details of litters were gathered. If both parents of a fitter were heterozygous (‘carriers’), the progeny (120 in number) of all known carrier x carrier matings would be expected to have a ratio of three phenotypically normal animals to one fitter, that is, 90:30. The ratio observed (91:29) was not significantly different. The Keeshond Club has published a list from which the identities of carriers can be inferred, with the intention that known carriers should be excluded from breeding. A genetic counselling programme has been in operation since 1989, which is based on advising breeders on the probability that the offspring of proposed matings would be fitters or carriers; advice has been given on 77 proposed matings. The mean probability that the proposed matings would result in carriers has declined significantly, and this is consistent with a decline in the frequency of the gene for this form of epilepsy in the breed.
... Of the 113watches, 12 spanned dawn or dusk and for much of the analysis these were each consi... more ... Of the 113watches, 12 spanned dawn or dusk and for much of the analysis these were each considered ... A full account of the vege-tation survey is available from me ... the Indian rhino-ceros (a relatively solitary animal, breeding all year round), found that 'tusk displays' couldeither ...
The Chillingham Wild White Cattle have a unique place in the British fauna. They are one of the v... more The Chillingham Wild White Cattle have a unique place in the British fauna. They are one of the very few herds of cattle anywhere in the world that have a natural sex ratio and age distribution, and there is no castration nor culling. This article looks at the herd from a veterinary point of view. Livestock and wildlife legislation in the UK was not drafted with freeliving cattle in mind, and this article outlines the steps that are taken to ensure compliance.
SummaryCharacterisations are given of the little-known Sabi sheep and the local population of the... more SummaryCharacterisations are given of the little-known Sabi sheep and the local population of the Small East African goat in two areas in NE Zimbabwe. The southern area had been more affected by drought in 1991–92. For sheep (both areas combined; n = 28 in 10 flocks) the mean declared age of breeding females and the median age at first parturition were surprisingly high (6.1 years and 4 years respectively). Breeding female goats in the southern area were younger (4.9 vs. 6.4 years), and their age at first kidding was lower (3 years vs. 5 years), than in the north (n = 122 in 25 flocks total). These advanced ages could be an after-effect of the drought. Juvenile mortality and the proportions of young that were ultimately marketed were similar to what has been found elsewhere in semi-arid Africa. Breeding females were found to be smaller than their counterparts in semi-arid areas in West Africa with mean withers heights of 56.5 cm (n = 112 goats) and 60.4 cm (n = 36 sheep). Conditions in this area appear difficult for small ruminants and the populations sampled may be well adapted to marginal environments and thus worthy of conservation.
Three hundred and eighty‐three Clethrionomys glareolus from 20 localities in England, Wales and S... more Three hundred and eighty‐three Clethrionomys glareolus from 20 localities in England, Wales and Scotland were typed for plasma esterase and a genetic polymorphism was discovered. The esterase was named Es‐1. Breeding tests suggested that three alleles were segregating: Es‐1o when homozygous results in complete absence of enzyme activity. The active alleles Es‐1f and Es‐1s code for enzyme variants which migrate more rapidly and less rapidly, respectively, under starch gel electrophoresis. Of these active alleles, Es‐1f is morc common in the north of Britain and Es‐18 in the south. A 23‐month field study on two areas at Wicken Fen, Cambridgeshire, suggested that animals possessing Es‐1s survived less well at high population densities, perhaps through their being more likely to emigrate.
The degree of assistance provided at 1353 calvings from 954 heifers and cows of nine breeds of Br... more The degree of assistance provided at 1353 calvings from 954 heifers and cows of nine breeds of British cattle (Ayrshire, British White, Dexter, Friesian/Holstein type, Gloucester, Kerry, Longhorn, Shetland and White Park) was recorded and analysed in terms of the dimensions of the dam and the calf. The sires had been chosen in accordance with normal farming practice. A heavy calf did not lead to dystocia. Assistance at calving was most frequently provided in the Ayrshire herd, which was used for veterinary teaching. There were very few difficult calvings in the seven rare breeds, but this was as likely to have been due to management policy as to the breed characteristics. A large tuber coxae measurement was associated with ease of calving, particularly in the Dexter. The breeds showed a wide range of pelvic dimensions and therefore provide a source of genetic variation.
The present study tests the hypothesis that the habitat of the globally extinct aurochs Bos primi... more The present study tests the hypothesis that the habitat of the globally extinct aurochs Bos primigenius was primarily riverine flat‐lands. Landscape features in Britain were analyzed for sites with Late Pleistocene and postglacial finds of aurochs (n=188), and, for comparison, wolf (101), brown bear (96), red deer (73), beaver (68), roe deer (46) and moose (23). Find sites were defined as Ordnance Survey 1 km map squares containing 1 or more finds. For each, spot height above sea level, heights of contour lines, flatness of terrain, total length of watercourses, and presence of woods, rock and water features were noted. Comparisons of find sites among species (Kruskal‐Wallis test) show significant differences that accord with knowledge of present‐day habitat preferences at the landscape level. Considering the species separately each find site was then compared with a randomly selected control map square within 10 km. Compared with their respective control squares, find sites of beaver have, today, a stronger association with presence of lakes; those of brown bear and wolf with presence of cliffs and rock outcrops; and those of aurochs with absence of woodland and with lower elevation and greater flatness. The concordance of these findings with the present‐day habitats of the extant species suggests valid inferences can be made about the habitat preference of the extinct aurochs. On this basis the aurochs appears, as hypothesized, to have selected low‐lying, flat ground, which (indicated by its present‐day use for purposes other than woodland) was relatively fertile.
The predisposition of keeshonds (Dutch barge dogs) to an idiopathic epilepsy appears to be determ... more The predisposition of keeshonds (Dutch barge dogs) to an idiopathic epilepsy appears to be determined by a single autosomal recessive gene. The pedigrees of 15 litters which included animals diagnosed as epileptic (‘fitters’) were compared with those of 34 contemporary, normal animals. The pedigrees of all the fitters traced back, on both the paternal and maternal sides, to a common ancestor. Subsequently, further pedigrees and details of litters were gathered. If both parents of a fitter were heterozygous (‘carriers’), the progeny (120 in number) of all known carrier x carrier matings would be expected to have a ratio of three phenotypically normal animals to one fitter, that is, 90:30. The ratio observed (91:29) was not significantly different. The Keeshond Club has published a list from which the identities of carriers can be inferred, with the intention that known carriers should be excluded from breeding. A genetic counselling programme has been in operation since 1989, which is based on advising breeders on the probability that the offspring of proposed matings would be fitters or carriers; advice has been given on 77 proposed matings. The mean probability that the proposed matings would result in carriers has declined significantly, and this is consistent with a decline in the frequency of the gene for this form of epilepsy in the breed.
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