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Employment History: 9/08 - present School of Biology and Environmental Science, UCD, Dublin Lecturer. 1/06-8/08 Department of Evolution and Ecology, University of Lausanne, Switzerland Senior postdoc. Evolutionary genetics and demography in metapopulations 1/00 - 12/05 The Macaulay Institute, Aberdeen Researcher. Evolutionary theory of food intake, demography and biogeography 9/99 - 11/99 Department of Zoology, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand Visiting Researcher with Prof. Henrick Moller. Population demography of seabirds and sustainable harvests 6/97 - 8/99 Department of Zoology, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, UK Postdoc. Modelling seabird foraging and behaviour 7/96 - 5/97 University of Sussex, School of Biological Sciences Visiting researcher with Dr Joel Peck. Geographic distribution of parthenogenesis 2/95 - 5/96 Institut de Biologie Théorique, Université d'Angers, France Postdoc. Modelling systems of human physiology
Education 1995 PhD "Anisotropic cosmological models and the role of matter" University of Sussex, UK (Prof. John D. Barrow) 1991 Part III of the Mathematical Tripos, University of Cambridge, UK 1990 BSc. Hons. Physics, University of Birmingham, UK |
| My main research interests are in spatial ecology and population genetics, and look at dispersal ecology and invasion dynamics. This research addresses both applied and theoretical issues in spatial ecology by combining ecological data with mathematical models. 1. Dispersal Ecology a. Estimating metapopulation demographic parameters (e.g. dispersal rates) from genetic data
a. Invasion success of biocontrol species I have also worked on life
history theory (food intake, compensatory growth and sexual segregation), community
ecology, matrix population models (transient dynamics and density dependence), soil
carbon and nitrogen dynamics, foraging ecology and spatial models of
parthenogenesis. Opportunities Wanted: Biocontrol population dynamics and transient effects A student to undertake a Masters by research with myself and Dr Jan Robert-Baars. Applicants should have a first class honours degree in biology, maths or physics. Contact myself or Jan for more information by 10th Jan 2012. Postgraduate and postdoctoral research positions are available in my group. We welcome people with:
Some potential funding sources are listed at the bottom of the page. 1.
Dispersal Ecology a.
Estimating demographic parameters from genetic data An
individual's genome can be used as an individual marker (e.g. DNA
fingerprinting), but an individual¿s genome is also partially shared with those
of related individuals. This makes individual genotype data a powerful source
of information for inferring demographic parameters, such as dispersal and
survival rates. We are
developing Bayesian statistical methods to harness the information in genotype
data for estimating dispersal rates and dispersal kernels. The methods are
tested with simulated scenarios, and applied to case studies (e.g. Crocidura russula). Other methods are
being developed for marine invertebrates (see section c below). b. Larval
dispersal of deep-sea invertebrates We are interested in making
testable inferences about the larval dispersal capacity of deep-sea
invertebrates. Questions such as: How quickly could they colonise new habitats?
What is the spatial scale of population connectivity? What is the influence of
larval behaviour upon their dispersal ability? How can we inform the design of
deep-sea marine protected areas? Larvae are the predominant
vehicle for the dispersal of many benthic marine species, but deep-sea larvae
have rarely been observed. Larval dispersal is a combination of drift in the
ocean currents and active movement, such as swimming or vertical movements
through buoyancy control. By estimating deep-sea ocean currents, we are
developing larval particle tracking models to gain some insight into deep-sea
larval dispersal ability. This involves combining
oceanographic data from deep-sea autonomous probes, and assimilating this data
into coupled bio-physical models of larval dispersal. These techniques are
being applied to species from deep-sea surveys in the south-west Pacific (surveys conducted by Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle, Paris). c. Larval dispersal of coastal marine invertebrates (in
collaboration with Dr Thomas
Broquet, Dr
Frederique Viard, Roscoff CNRS) The population genetics of
coastal larval invertebrates shows complex spatial patterns, that do not
conform to standard population genetic theory. In collaboration with the Station Biologique de Roscoff, we are
developing population genetic theory that specifically addresses larval
invertebrates. This theory feeds into work on the invasive slipper limpet, Crepidula
fornicata. 2. Invasion Dynamics a. Invasive species and their
control with biocontrol species (collaboration with Dr
Severine Vuilleumier, Univ. Lausanne, Switzerland, Dr Jan-Robert Baars, UCD) Biocontrol species are being increasingly used to
control unwanted pests, such as invasive species. They are an example of a
controlled invasion. As an extension of our research on invasion in genetic
systems, we are using spatially explicit population models to study the factors
affecting the invasion success of biocontrol species. These studies look at
factors such as the conflict between conventional invasive species management
and biocontrol and the impact of predators on biocontrol species. b. Fixation probability of beneficial alleles in
heterogeneous environments Much of population genetic theory is based upon a
homogeneous environment, where a genotype has the same absolute fitness in all
populations. In reality the fitness of a genotype will depend upon the local
environmental conditions. Genotypes will therefore experience heterogeneous
selection environments. I'm interested in looking at the effect of a
heterogeneous environment upon genetic diversity. For this we study the
population genetics of spatially explicit metapopulation models. These systems are relevant for the spread of novel
genetic elements across the wider environment, such as genetically modified
organisms, and pesticide resistance genes. c. Propagation of smouldering
fire (collaboration with Dr Claire Belcher, Dr Guillermo Rein,
University of Edinburgh, Dr
Florence Renou-Wilson, UCD) Fire is an increasing global threat to the carbon
store and ecosystem services provided by peatlands (they are estimated to contain
1/3 of terrestrial carbon). Peatland wildfires are becoming more frequent both
in Ireland and internationally. They threaten the environment (e.g. habitat
destruction and greenhouse gas emissions) and human health (e.g. air
quality). The carbon emissions from smouldering peat are not presently
accounted for by the Intergovernmental Panel on
Climate Change, despite the fact that they represent between 5 and 40% of
annual global carbon emissions. We are interested in
understanding the dynamics of smouldering fires in peatlands. To do this we are
combining data from experimental smouldering burns with invasion models.
The above image shows a simulation of a smouldering burn in 24% O2.
Post
Doctoral Opportunities IRCSET EMPOWER Postdoctoral Fellowships
IRCSET Enterprise
Partnership Postdoc. Award
Post Graduate Opportunities
IRCSET EMBARK postgraduate Scholarships
IRCSET Enterprise Partnership
Postgraduate Award
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| Ollason, J.G., Yearsley, J.M., Liu, K. and Ren, N.; (2006) 'Modelling the behaviour of individuals and groups of animals foraging in heterogeneous environments' In: Boyd, I., Wanless, S. and Camphuysen, C.J (eds). Top Predators in Marine Ecosystems: Their role in monitoring and management. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. [Details] |
| Peck, J.R., Yearsley, J. and Waxman, D.; (1999) 'Why do asexual and self-fertilising populations tend to occur in marginal environments?' In: Nehaniv, C.L (eds). Lectures on Mathematics in the Life Sciences. Vol. 26: Mathematical and Computational Biology: Computational Morphogenesis, Hierarchical Complexity, and Digital Evolution. USA: American Mathematical Society. [Details] |
| Yearsley, J.M. and Sigwart, J.D.; (2011) 'Larval transport modelling of deep-sea invertebrates can aid the search for undiscovered populations'. PLoS ONE, 6(8) e23063 . [DOI] [Details] |
| O'Gorman, E.J., Yearsley, J.M., Crowe T.P., Emmerson, M.C., Jacob, U. and Petchey, O.L.; (2011) 'Loss of functionally unique species may gradually undermine ecosystems'. Proceedings of the Royal Society B - Biological Sciences, 278 (1713):1886-1893. [DOI] [Details] |
| Jaquiéry, J., Broquet, T., Hirzel, A.H., Yearsley, J. and Perrin, N.; (2011) 'Inferring landscape effects on dispersal from genetic distances: how far can we go?'. Molecular Ecology, 20 (4):692-705. [DOI] [Details] |
| Vuilleumier, S., Buttler, A., Perrin, N. and Yearsley, J.M.; (2011) 'Invasion and eradication of a competitively superior species in heterogeneous landscapes'. Ecological Modelling, 222 (3):398-406. [DOI] [Details] |
| Belcher, C.M., Yearsley, J.M., Hadden, R., McElwain, J.C. and Rein, G.; (2010) 'Baseline intrinsic flammability of Earth's ecosystems estimated from paleoatmospheric oxygen over the past 350 million year'. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 107 (52):22448-22453. [DOI] [Details] |
| Beale, C.M., Lennon, J.L., Yearsley, J.M, Brewer, M.J. and Elston, D.A.; (2010) 'Regression analysis of spatial data'. Ecology Letters, 13 (2):246-264. [DOI] [Details] | |||||||||
| Pérez-Barberíaa, F.P. and Yearsley, J.M.; (2010) 'Sexual selection for fighting skills as a driver of sexual segregation in polygynous ungulates: an evolutionary model'. Animal Behaviour, 80 :745-755. [DOI] [Details] | |||||||||
Broquet, T., Yearsley, J. Hirzel, A.H., Goudet, J. and Perrin, N.; (2009) 'Inferring recent migration rates from individual genotypes'. Molecular Ecology, 18 :1048-1060.  [DOI] [Details] |
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| Vuilleumier, S., Yearsley, J.M. and Perrin, N.; (2008) 'The fixation of locally beneficial alleles in a metapopulation'. Genetics, 178 :467-475. [DOI] [Details] | |||||||||
| Beale, C.M., Lennon, J.J., Elston, D.A., Brewer, M.J. and Yearsley, J.M.; (2007) 'Red herrings remain in geographical ecology: a reply to Hawkins et al. (2007)'. Ecography, 30 :845-847. [DOI] [Details] | |||||||||
| Tolkamp, B.J., Yearsley, J.M., Gordon, I., Illius, A., Speakman, J. and Kyriazakis, I.; (2007) 'Predicting the effects of body fatness on food intake and performance of sheep'. British Journal of Nutrition, 97 :1206-1215. [DOI] [Details] | |||||||||
| Duncan, A.J., Elwert, C., Villalba, J.J., Yearsley, J., Pouloupoulou, I. and Gordon, I.J.; (2007) 'How does pattern of feeding and rate of nutrient delivery influence conditioned food preferences?'. Oecologia, 153 :617-624. [DOI] [Details] | |||||||||
| Johnston, S.L., Souter, D.M., Erwin, S.S., Tolkamp, B.J., Yearsley, J.M., Gordon, I.J., Illius, A.W., Kyriazakis, I. and Speakman, J.R.; (2007) 'Associations between basal metabolic rate and reproductive performance in C57BL/6J mice'. Journal of Experimental Biology, 210 :65-74. [DOI] [Details] | |||||||||
| Mertens, S.K., Yearsley, J.M., van den Bosch, F., Gilligan, C.A.; (2006) 'Transient Population Dynamics in Periodic Matrix Models: Effects of Cyclic Permutations'. Ecology, 87 (9):2338-2348. [DOI] [Details] | |||||||||
| Yearsley, J.M., Villalba, j., Gordon, I.J., Kyriazakis, I, Speakman, J.R., Tolkamp, B.J., Illius, A.W. and Duncan, A.; (2006) 'A theory of associating food types with their post-ingestive consequences'. The American Naturalist, 167 (5):705-716. [DOI] [Details] | |||||||||
| Johnston, S.L., Grune, T., Bell, L.M., Murray, S.J., Souter, D.M., Erwin, S.S., Yearsley, J.M., Gordon, I.J., Illius, A.W., Kyriazakis, I and Spearman, J.R.; (2006) 'Having it all: historical energy intakes do not generate the anticipated trade-offs in fecundicity'. Proceedings of the Royal Society B - Biological Sciences, 273 (1592):1369-1374. [DOI] [Details] | |||||||||
| Yearsley, J.M., Kyriazakis, I., Gordon, I.J., Speakman, J.R., Tolkamp, B.J. and Illius, A.W.; (2005) 'A life history model of somatic damage associated with resource acquisition: damage protection or prevention?'. Journal of Theoretical Biology, 235 (3):305-317. [DOI] [Details] | |||||||||
| Yearsley, J.M., Perez-Barberia, F.J.; (2005) 'Does the activity budget hypothesis explain sexual segregation in ungulates?'. Animal Behaviour, 69 (2):257-267. [DOI] [Details] | |||||||||
| Foereid, B. and Yearsley, J.M.; (2004) 'Modelling carbon and nitrogen turnover in the rhizosphere and the impact of microbial grazers'. Plant and Soil, 267 (1-2):329-342. [DOI] [Details] | |||||||||
| Johnston, S.L., Bell, L.M., Murray, S.J., Tolkamp, B.J., Yearsley, J., Kyriazakis, I, Illius, A.W. and Speakman, J.R.; (2004) 'Individual variations in resting metabolic rate in C57BL/6J mice do no predispose to weight or fat gain over 6 months on diets of varying fat content'. International Journal of Obesity, 28 (Suppl. 1):S17-S17. [Details] | |||||||||
| Yearsley, J.M., Kyriazakis, I. and Gordon, I.J.; (2004) 'Delayed costs of growth and compensatory growth rates'. Functional Ecology, 18 (4):563-570. [DOI] [Details] | |||||||||
| Yearsley, J.M.; (2004) 'Transient population dynamics and short-term sensitivity analysis of matrix population models'. Ecological Modelling, 177 (3-4):245-258. [DOI] [Details] | |||||||||
| Emmerson, M. and Yearsley, J.M.; (2004) 'Weak interactions, omnivory and emergent food-web properties'. Proceedings of the Royal Society B - Biological Sciences, 271 (1537):397-405. [DOI] [Details] | |||||||||
| Yearsley, J.; (2003) 'Optimal diet selection, frequency-dependence and prey renewal'. Theoretical Population Biology, 64 (2):129-139. [DOI] [Details] | |||||||||
| Yearsley, J.M., Fletcher, D. and Hunter, C.; (2003) 'Sensitivity analysis of equilibrium population size in a density-dependent model for Short-tailed Shearwaters'. Ecological Modelling, 163 (1-2):119-129. [DOI] [Details] | |||||||||
| Yearsley, J., Hastings, I.M., Gordon, I.J., Kyriazakis, I, Illius, A.W.; (2002) 'A Lifetime Perspective on Foraging and Mortality'. Journal of Theoretical Biology, 215 (4):385-397. [DOI] [Details] | |||||||||
| Yearsley, J.M. and Fletcher, D.; (2002) 'Equivalence relationships between stage-strctured population models'. Mathematical Biosciences, 179 (2):131-143. [Details] | |||||||||
| Illius, A.W., Tolkamp, B.J. and Yearsley, J.; (2002) 'The evolution of the control of food intake'. Proceedings of the Nutrition Society, 61 (04):465-472. [DOI] [Details] | |||||||||
| Yearsley, J.M., Tolkamp, B.J. and Illius, A.W.; (2001) 'Theoretical developments in the study and prediction of food intake'. Proceedings of the Nutrition Society, 60 (1):145-156. [DOI] [Details] | |||||||||
| Ollason, J.G. and Yearsley, J.M.; (2001) 'The Approximately Ideal, More or Less Free Distribution'. Theoretical Population Biology, 59 (2):87-105. [DOI] [Details] | |||||||||
| Peck, J.R., Yearsley, J. and Barreau, G.; (1999) 'The maintenance of sexual reproduction in a structured population'. Proceedings of the Royal Society B - Biological Sciences, 266 (1431):1857-1863. [DOI] [Details] | |||||||||
| Yearsley, J.; (1998) 'Hawks and Doves in Heterogeneous Environments'. Mathematical and Computer Modelling, 27 (4):99-108. [DOI] [Details] | |||||||||
| Peck, J.R., Yearsley, J. and Waxman, D.; (1998) 'Explaining the geographic distributions of sexual and asexual populations'. Nature, 391 (6670):889-891. [DOI] [Details] | |||||||||
| Yearsley, J. and Barrow, J.D.; (1996) 'Cosmological models of dimensional segregation'. Classical and Quantum Gravity, 13 :2693-2706. [Details] | |||||||||
| Drinkwater, M.J., Currie, M.J., Young, C.K., Hardy, E. and Yearsley, J.M.; (1996) 'Blue compact dwarf galaxies and new velocities in Virgo'. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 279 :595-595. [Details] | |||||||||
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| Yearsley, J; (2008) One man team. London: Monographs:- Non Peer Reviewed [Details] |
| Jon Yearsley; (2008) Serial postdoc. London: Monographs:- Non Peer Reviewed [Details] |
| Jon Yearsley; (2008) The Very Hungry Postdoc. London: Monographs:- Non Peer Reviewed [Details] |
| Jon Yearsley; (2008) Job transplant. London: Monographs:- Non Peer Reviewed [Details] |
| Jon Yearsley; (2008) I'm an alien. London: Monographs:- Non Peer Reviewed [Details] |
| Association: International Biometric Society, Function/Role: Member |
| Association: Royal Astronomical Society, Function/Role: Member |
| Association: British Ecological Society, Function/Role: Member |
| Association: European Society of Mathematical and Theoretical Biology, Function/Role: Member |
| Belcher, C M et al.; (2011) The fireox model and the baseline flammability of the Earth's ecosystems estimated from palaeoatmospheric oxygen over the past 350 million years. [Chaired Session], 2011 GSA Annual Meeting, Minneapolis, USA , 09-OCT-11 - 12-OCT-11. |
| Broquet, T and Yearsley, JM and Viard, F; (2011) Using coancestry modeling and individual-based simulations to explore the apparently chaotic patterns of genetic structure frequently observed in marine species. [Chaired Session], Models in evolutionary ecology, Montpellier, France , 08-JUN-11 - 10-JUN-11. |
| Yearsley, J.M. and others; (2011) FIREOX: an SIR model to describe the spread of smouldering peatland fire. [Chaired Session], Mathematical Models in Ecology and Evolution, Groningen, Netherlands , 17-AUG-11 - 19-JUL-11. |
| Golléty, C and others; (2011) Annual carbon budget of a canopy-dominated intertidal community surpasses traditional estimates for macroalgae. [Chaired Session], 9th International Temperate Reefs Symposium, Plymouth , 26-JUN-11 - 01-JUL-11. |
| Yearsley, JM and Broquet, T and Viard, F; (2011) Another look at propagule pool dispersal and its impact upon patterns of genetic differentiation. [Chaired Session], International Conference in Landscape Genetics, Bialowieza, Poland , 10-OCT-11 - 12-OCT-11. |
| Jon Yearsley and Julia Sigwart; (2010) Data from the deep: autonomous oceanographic probes and their application to the dispersal of deep-sea marine invertebrates. [Invited Lecture], Invited talk to BRE Department, Edinburgh University , 11-NOV-10 - 11-NOV-10. | |||||||||
| Varian, S. et al.; (2010) The science of mermaids' purses: Using public participation as a tool for investigating egglaying elasmobranch nursery areas in Ireland. [Poster Presentation], 14th Annual European Elasmobranch Association Conference, Galway , 10-NOV-10 - 13-NOV-10. | |||||||||
| O'Gorman, E.J., Yearsley, J.M., Crowe T.P., Emmerson, M.C., Jacob, U. and Petchey, O.L.; (2010) Loss of functionally unique species may gradually undermine ecosystems. [Oral Presentation], British Ecological Society Annual Meeting 2010, University of Leeds, UK , 06-SEP-10 - 09-SEP-10. | |||||||||
| O'Gorman, E.J., Yearsley, J.M., Crowe T.P., Emmerson, M.C., Jacob, U. and Petchey, O.L.; (2010) Loss of functionally unique species may gradually undermine ecosystems. [Oral Presentation], 3rd International SIZEMIC Workshop, Institute of Marine Sciences, Barcelona, Spain , 24-JUN-10 - 25-JUN-10. | |||||||||
| Sigwart, J D and Yearsley J M; (2010) Larval transport modelling of deep-sea invertebrates points to potential undiscovered populations. [Chaired Session], 12th Deep-sea Biology Symposium, Iceland , 07-JUN-10 - 11-JUN-10. | |||||||||
| Sigwart, J D and Yearsley, J M; (2010) You Can't Get There from Here: South Pacific Distributions of Deep Sea Chitons (Mollusca: Polyplacophora: Lepidopleurida). [Chaired Session], 17th International Congress of UNITAS MALACOLOGICA, Thailand , 18-JUL-10 - 24-AUG-10. | |||||||||
| Yearsley, J M and Sigwart, J D; (2010) Larval transport modelling of deep-sea invertebrates. [Chaired Session], BES Annual Meeting, Leeds , 07-SEP-10 - 09-SEP-10. | |||||||||
| Yearsley J M and Sigwart J D; (2010) Inferring population connectivity in the deep-sea from Argo profiling probes. [Invited Oral Presentation], Marine Station External Seminar, Station Biologique de Roscoff , 23-FEB-10 - 26-AUG-10. | |||||||||
| Broquet, T, Yearsley, J M, Viard, F; (2010) Quelle est l'origine des mosaïques génétiques fluctuantes observées chez les invertébrés marins ?. [Poster Presentation], Ecologie 2010, Montpellier , 02-SEP-10 - 04-SEP-10. | |||||||||
| Yearsley, J.; (2008) Preparing to do research abroad. [Invited Lecture], The Source Event, NatureJobs 2008, London , 26-SEP-08 - 26-SEP-08. | |||||||||
| Yearsley, J., Vuilleumier, S. and Perrin, N.; (2008) Invasion of beneficial alleles in heterogeneous landscapes. [Oral Presentation], European Conference on Mathematical and Theoretical Biology 2008, Edinburgh, Scotland , 29-JUN-08 - 04-JUL-08. | |||||||||
| Yearsley, J., Vuilleumier, S. and Perrin, N.; (2008) Random walks in allelic and geographical space - Fixation probability in heterogeneous environments. [Invited Oral Presentation], International Workshop on Multi-Rate Processes and Hysteresis, University College Cork, Ireland , 31-MAR-08 - 05-APR-08. | |||||||||
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| Claire Belcher (University of Edinburgh, UK) Thomas Broquet (Station Biologique de Roscoff, France) Mark Emmerson (Queen's University Belfast) Claire Gollety (University of St Andrews, UK) Jack Lennon (Macaulay Institute, Aberdeen, UK) Nicolas Perrin (University of Lausanne, Switzerland) Javier Perez-Barberia (Macaulay Institute, Aberdeen, UK) Guillermo Rein (University of Edinburgh, UK) Julia Sigwart (Queen's University Belfast, UK) Severine Vuilleumier (University of Lausanne, Switzerland) |
| Mehdi Khakpour, Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) - Thesis Supervisor |
| 201100 BIOL40010 Biology: Core Skills for Research |
| 201100 BIOL40050 Biology: Research Project-Evolution |
| 201100 ENVB40290 Environmental Biology: Ecological Modelling |
| 201100 BIOL40110 Biology: Global Challenges&GreenIssues |
