MHC social signaling via olfaction and the impacts of fisheries on grayling fish

Can individuals recognise kin and if so is the underlying mechanism genetically or environmentally determined (i.e. learnt in early life stages). Furthermore is kin recognized via olfaction if so how do early rearing environments shape olfactory preferences for associating with more similar or dissimilar individuals. Additionally I will investigate how microbial communities and diversity may strengthen or alter individual odour cues.

This will be studied in grayling populations (salmonoid fish) with implications for early life rearing environments in captive fisheries which form part of restocking programmes, with the opportunity for later determining fitness effects of sibling and non sibling reared fish that are re-released into the wild and identification of genetic purging

Secondly, olfactory preferences of genetically similair and dissimilair partners in humans will be investigated and the role of mhc based chemical signaling on pregnancy block and changes in reproductive investment.

Thirdly the questions may also be investigated with domestic horses.