DOI: 10.5061/dryad.ttdz08kvx
title: Data from: Maternally-derived anti-helminth antibodies predict offspring survival in a wild mammal

description: The transfer of antibodies from mother to offspring provides crucial
 protection against infection to offspring during early life. However, few
 studies have tested the consequences of variation in maternal antibody
 transfer for offspring fitness in the wild. Further, separating out the
 immunoprotective effects of antibodies from their association with
 nutritional resources provided by the mother is difficult. Here, we
 measured plasma levels of total and parasite-specific antibody levels in
 neonatal (&lt;10 days old) wild Soay sheep over 25 years to quantify
 variation in maternal antibody transfer and test its association with
 offspring survival. Maternal antibody transfer was predicted by maternal
 age and previous antibody responses, and was consistent within mothers
 across years. Neonatal total IgG antibody levels were positively related
 to early growth, suggesting they reflected nutritional transfer. Neonatal
 parasite-specific IgG levels positively predicted first year offspring
 survival, independent of lamb weight, total IgG levels and subsequent lamb
 parasite-specific antibody levels. This relationship was in part mediated
 via an indirect negative association with parasite burden. We show that
 among-female variation in maternal transfer of immunity can have long-term
 effects on offspring growth, parasite burden and fitness in the wild, and
 is likely to impact naturally-occurring host and parasite dynamics.
description: This data was collected as
 part of the long term individual based study on the Soay sheep of St Kilda
 in Scotland.
description: #~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~# SOAY SHEEP PROJECT DATA REUSE: The attached file contains data derived from the long term field project<br> monitoring individual Soay sheep on St Kilda and their environment.  This is a<br> request to please let us know if you use them.  Several people have spent the<br> best part of their careers collecting the data.  If you plan to analyse the<br> data, there are a number of reasons why it would be very helpful if you could<br> contact Josephine Pemberton (j.pemberton@ed.ac.uk) before doing so. [NB. If you are interested in analysing the detailed project data in any depth <br> you may find it helpful to have our full relational database rather than the<br> file(s) available here.  If so, then we have a simple process for bringing you<br> onto the project as a collaborator.] 1) The data can be subject to change due to updates in the pedigree, merging of<br> records, occasional errors and so on. 2) The data are complex and workers who do not know the study system may<br> benefit from advice when interpreting it. 3) At any one time a number of people within the existing project collaboration<br> are analysing data from this project. Someone else may already be conducting<br> the analysis you have in mind and it is desirable to prevent duplication of<br> effort. 4) In order to maintain funding for the project(s), every few years we have to<br> write proposals for original analyses to funding agencies. It is therefore very<br> helpful for those running the project to know what data analyses are in<br> progress. 5) Sheep identifiers may vary relative to other data archives from papers using<br> the Soay sheep data. #~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~# DATA DESCRIPTION: These data are related to the manuscript: Maternally-derived anti-helminth antibodies predict offspring survival in a wild mammal A. M. Sparks, A. D. Hayward, K. Watt, J. G. Pilkington, J. M. Pemberton, S. E. Johnston, T. N. McNeilly, D. H. Nussey Please see the README file for descriptions of the columns in the dataset. For questions related specifically to this dataset, please contact Alexandra Sparks (A.M.Sparks@leeds.ac.uk) or Dan Nussey (dan.nussey@ed.ac.uk)