Caroline Dingle

Caroline Dingle
Capilano University

PhD

About

108
Publications
23,193
Reads
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1,370
Citations
Introduction
Caroline Dingle currently works in the Biology Department at Capilano University in North Vancouver, Canada. Caroline does research in Animal Communication, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Urban Ecology and Wildlife trade.
Additional affiliations
April 2009 - December 2011
University of Exeter
Position
  • Research Associate
September 2004 - April 2009
University of Cambridge
Position
  • PhD Student

Publications

Publications (108)
Article
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The investigation of wildlife trade and crime has benefitted from advances in technology and scientific development in a variety of fields. Stable isotope analysis (SIA) represents one rapidly developing approach that has considerable potential to contribute to wildlife trade investigation, especially in complementing other methods including morpho...
Article
Avian brood parasitism can have severely detrimental effects on a host’s reproductive success and cause population declines. The Long-tailed Shrike (Lanius schach) is one of many hosts of the parasitic Asian Koel (Eudynamys scolopaceus). The Long-tailed Shrike subspecies longicaudatus, endemic to Thailand, is declining: however, the cause is unclea...
Article
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Accurate identification of evolutionarily significant units of rare and threatened organisms provides a foundation for effective management and conservation. Up to seven subspecies of the critically endangered Yellow‐crested Cockatoo ( Cacatua sulphurea ) have been described, four of which were commonly recognised pre‐2014. In the absence of genoty...
Article
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Background Early in the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, Sunda pangolins (Manis javanica) involved in the illegal wildlife trade in mainland China were identified as hosts of severe acute respiratory syndrome-related coronaviruses (SARSr-CoVs). Although it is unconfirmed whether pangolins or other traded wildlife served as intermediate...
Article
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Tokay geckos are traded in large volumes in Hong Kong, though the sustainability and legality of this trade are unclear. Two studies have been published on Hong Kong's tokay gecko trade. We examine the findings of both and make consolidated recommendations to ensure trade is not detrimental to this species.
Preprint
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Circadian rhythms are highly conserved across the tree of life, with light serving as the primary cue for the circadian timer. Photoperiod variation follows a latitudinal gradient, reflecting fluctuations in seasonality that increases towards the poles. As photoperiod variability intensifies at higher latitudes, organisms must develop mechanisms to...
Article
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Many highly recognisable species lack genetic data important for conservation due to neglect over their hyperabundance. This likely applies to the Sulphur-crested Cockatoo (Cacatua galerita), one of the world’s most iconic parrots. The species is native to Australia, New Guinea and some surrounding Melanesian islands. Four subspecies are currently...
Article
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Monitoring wildlife trade dynamics is an important initial step for conservation action and demand reduction campaigns to reduce illegal wildlife trade. Studies often rely on one data source to assess a species’ trade, such as seizures or the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) trade data. Each da...
Article
Urban ecology and tropical biology have both developed rapidly in recent decades and matured into important interdisciplinary fields, with significant implications for biodiversity and human communities globally. However, urban ecosystems within the tropics remain understudied and poorly characterized despite these systems representing major hotspo...
Article
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Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) utilizes animal products derived from hundreds of species. For some species, such as the pangolins (family Manidae), demand from the medicinal trade has been recognized as a major threat and is under strict regulations to conserve declining endangered populations. In parallel, species such as the tokay gecko (Gekk...
Article
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The white-bellied pangolin ( Phataginus tricuspis ) is the world’s most trafficked mammal and is at risk of extinction. Reducing the illegal wildlife trade requires an understanding of its origins. Using a genomic approach for tracing confiscations and analyzing 111 samples collected from known geographic localities in Africa and 643 seized scales...
Article
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Global trade in songbirds affects a growing number of species and may be unsustainable, particularly in Asia. Few songbird species are protected by national laws or listed in the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). Lack of trade data for such species hampers mitigation efforts. We compiled trade...
Article
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While urban areas may not seem conducive to human-wildlife interactions (HWI), rapid land use transformations can result in frequent encounters with wildlife in the context of changing habitats, as well as encounters with species that thrive in urban settings. In Asia, the processes of rapid land-use change can bring into sharp relief the juxtaposi...
Preprint
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Ensuring scientific reproducibility holds increasing importance in chemistry as it underpins the credibility and integrity of research findings. However, reproducing experiments and measurements is often hindered by incomplete or ambiguous procedural data in scientific literature. Additionally, the time-consuming process of data generation limits t...
Article
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Helmeted hornbills (Rhinoplax vigil, J.R. Forster, 1781) are ‘Critically Endangered’ due to illegal hunting for their casques which are carved and traded for ornamental purposes. DNA species identification techniques can aid enforcement efforts, and validated wildlife forensic techniques for the species identification of R. vigil are needed. Here w...
Article
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Helmeted hornbills (Rhinoplax vigil, J.R. Forster, 1781) are ‘Critically Endangered’ due to illegal hunting for their casques which are carved and traded for ornamental purposes. DNA species identification techniques can aid enforcement efforts, and validated wildlife forensic techniques for the species identification of R. vigil are needed. Here w...
Article
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Hunted wildlife can often be used to answer questions about wild individuals. Sex ratios of hunted individuals can be important for understanding changes in population demographics and viability. Here we determined the sex ratio of the illegally hunted helmeted hornbill Rhinoplax vigil, a critically endangered species from Southeast Asia, to examin...
Article
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Wildlife trade is a multi-billion-dollar sector that impacts a wide range of species, and thus is of significant research and conservation interest. Wildlife trade has also become a prominent topic in the public-facing media, where coverage has intensified following the outbreak of the global COVID-19 pandemic due to the potential connection betwee...
Article
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The pet trade and Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) consumption are major drivers of global biodiversity loss. Tokay geckos (Gekko gecko)are among the most traded reptile species worldwide. In Hong Kong, pet and TCM markets sell tokay geckos while wild populations also persist. To clarify connections between trade sources and destinations, we comp...
Article
Climate change impacts bird migration phenology, causing changes in departure and arrival dates, leading to potential mismatches between migration and other key seasonal constraints. While the impacts of climate change on arrival at breeding grounds have been relatively well documented, little is known about the impacts of climate change on post-br...
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Snake soup continues to be an iconic tradition in Cantonese culture. Yet little is known about the relationship between snake soup consumption in Hong Kong, wild snake populations, and the communities depending on this tradition for their livelihoods. We applied an interdisciplinary approach including interviews with shopkeepers and genetic analyse...
Article
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Pangolins have recently received significant media attention globally as the trade for their scales and meat is driving many species closer to extinction. As a result of this, there have been increased legal regulations placed on pangolin trade in recent years. The suggestion that pangolins may have been involved in the transmission of COVID-19 fur...
Article
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https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fevo.2021.777175/full Asia is a land of contrasts. This is the largest and most populated region of the world, it is where urbanization is increasing at the highest rate (Seto et al., 2012). At the same time, it is extremely biodiverse (Myers et al., 2000), so that promoting harmonious human-wildlife co...
Article
• Turtles from Asia are on the brink of extinction with 53% of species considered endangered or critically endangered. Unfortunately, the ecology of many threatened species remains largely unknown. • In this study, the diet of the endangered Beale’s eyed turtle (Sacalia bealei) was investigated using two methods, visual faecal content analysis and...
Article
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Migratory shorebirds are among the most threatened groups of birds. They rely on natural intertidal habitats outside the breeding season, but, to some extent have adjusted to using man‐made habitats. Here, we assessed the importance of coastal saltpans – a type of anthropogenic wetland – for feeding in migratory shorebirds during their northward mi...
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Ambient noise can cause birds to adjust their songs to avoid masking. Most studies investigate responses to a single noise source (e.g., low-frequency traffic noise, or high-frequency insect noise). Here, we investigated the effects of both anthropogenic and insect noise on vocalizations of four common bird species in Hong Kong. Common Tailorbirds...
Article
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Legal wildlife trade creates opportunities for the sale of illegally procured animals and their derivatives, since it is difficult to differentiate legal from laundered items. This problem is common across many wildlife trade areas – exotic pets, ornaments, seafood – and involves a variety of taxa. Here, we tested the ability of bulk and compound‐s...
Article
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Rapid urbanization has profoundly transformed habitats and increased noise pollution in urban environments. Elevated noise levels may mask acoustic signals of urban-dwelling organisms such as birds. Singing at higher frequencies is one of typical responses to avoid this masking effect. However, high-frequency signals experience larger attenuation w...
Article
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The wildlife trade is a major cause of species loss and a pathway for disease transmission. Socioeconomic drivers of the wildlife trade are influential at the local scale yet rarely accounted for in multinational agreements aimed at curtailing international trade in threatened species. In recent decades (1998-2018), approximately 421,000,000 threat...
Article
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Nature has the potential to provide wide-ranging economic contributions to society – from ecosystem services to providing income to communities via fair trade of resources. Unsustainable trade in wildlife, however, threatens biodiversity and its ability to support communities and a functioning planet. It is therefore important to have clear systems...
Article
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Exploitation of species for wildlife trade, including the demand for exotic pets (likely sourced from the wild or recent generations of captivity) is a major threat to biodiversity. Although not traditionally considered "pet keeping" countries, pet ownership is growing in Asia. Exotic animals are also appearing in cafes, which are growing in popula...
Article
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In the past decade, Hong Kong has seen an increase in volume and diversity of endangered wildlife imported through its borders. Recent amendments to legislation concerning wildlife crimes in Hong Kong allow for increased sentencing and prosecution of the crimes. This calls for an increased forensic capacity to aid enforcement efforts. Wildlife fore...
Article
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Mercury pollution is a global problem and of particular concern in high emissions areas, such as China. We studied the migratory Kentish Plover, Charadrius alexandrinus, which breeds in coastal northern/central China and the inland Qinghai Lake, and the White-faced Plover C. dealbatus, a year-round resident of coastal southern China. We measured to...
Article
Microplastics have been observed in >100 species of fish, with considerable variability in levels of contamination in different species and different geographic locations. Here, we investigated the incidence of microplastic in five species of demersal fish (four wild-caught species and one from a mariculture business) in Hong Kong. We observed that...
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Background Speciation with gene flow is an alternative to the nascence of new taxa in strict allopatric separation. Indeed, many taxa have parapatric distributions at present. It is often unclear if these are secondary contacts, e.g. caused by past glaciation cycles or the manifestation of speciation with gene flow, which hampers our understanding...
Article
Strong voices suggest that horizon threats (e.g., climate change) to biodiversity are less urgent than other, more immediate threats, implying that limited resources for both research and conservation should be redirected away from horizon-driven priorities. The high impact of contrarian messages distorts the current scientific literature and comme...
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Reef-based tourism has been developing rapidly in recent decades yet its impacts on reef ecosystems are often overlooked. In Tan-awan, Oslob, Philippines, whale sharks are attracted to the shallow reefs where they are provisioned up to 50 tons y⁻¹ of feed and this phenomenon in turn attracts >300,000 y⁻¹ visitors. Given the intensive provisioning a...
Article
In some bird species, males and females coordinate their songs into duets. Variation in the level of coordination in these displays may reflect cooperation or conflict. In grey-breasted wood-wrens, Henicorhina leucophrys, both sexes initiate duets with equal frequency, so duets are the product of both male and female behaviour, but the level of coo...
Preprint
Full-text available
Speciation with gene flow is an alternative to the nascence of new taxa in strict allopatric separation. Indeed, many taxa have parapatric distributions at present. It is often unclear if these are secondary contacts, e.g. caused by past glaciation cycles or the manifestation of speciation with gene flow, which hampers our understanding of how diff...
Article
Full-text available
White-eyes (Zosterops spp.) are a group of small passerines distributed across the Eastern Hemisphere that have become a textbook example of rapid speciation. However, traditional taxonomy has relied heavily on conservative plumage features to delimit white-eye species boundaries, resulting in several recent demonstrations of misclassification. Res...
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The skin functions as the primary interface between the human body and the external environment. To understand how the microbiome varies within urban mass transit and influences the skin microbiota, we profiled the human palm microbiome after contact with handrails within the Hong Kong Mass Transit Railway (MTR) system. Intraday sampling time was i...
Poster
Site fidelity of endangered Great Knots (Calidris tenuirostris) and near-threaten Bar-tailed Godwits (Limosa lapponica) along China coast.
Article
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Purpose – Although researchers have identified correlations between specific attitudes and particular behaviors in the pro-environmental domain, the general relationship between young people’s development of environmental knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors is not well understood. Past research indicates that geographic context can play a role, whi...
Article
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Birdsong is a sexually selected trait that could play an important evolutionary role when related taxa come into secondary contact. Many songbird species however learn their songs through copying one or more tutors, which complicates the evolutionary outcome of such contact. Two subspecies of a presumed vocal learner, the grey-breasted wood-wren (H...
Article
Individuals exhibiting a high level of cognitive ability may also exhibit more elaborate traits and so gain higher levels of mating success. This suggests that selection may act on cognitive performance through mate choice. Studies investigating this relationship have tended to focus on single cognitive tasks, or tasks that are closely related to e...
Article
Cultivation may be described as a process of co-evolution and niche construction, with two species developing a mutualistic relationship through association, leading to coordinated change [1 • Rindos D. The Origins of Agriculture: An Evolutionary Perspective. Academic Press, New York1984 • Google Scholar ]. Cultivation is rare but taxonomically w...
Article
Song divergence between closely related taxa may play a critical role in the evolutionary processes of speciation and hybridization. We explored song variation between two Ecuadorian subspecies of the gray-breasted wood-wren (Henicorhina leucophrys) and tested the impact of song divergence on response behaviors. Songs were significantly different b...
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When first described, from two specimens taken at Bogol Manyo (=‘Bogol Mayo’) in south- east Ethiopia in 1971, the Degodi Lark Mirafra degodiensis was considered a sibling species of the Horn of Africa’s Gillett’s Lark M. gilletti. However, subsequent field reports have failed to clarify how the two taxa can be separated. In order to evaluate the d...
Article
The Henicorhina wood-wren complex consists of three taxonomic species. Two of these, the Gray-breasted Wood-Wren (Henicorhina leucophrys) and the White-breasted Wood-Wren (H. leucosticta), are widespread throughout Central America and northern South America, with leucophrys occurring at higher elevations in regions where both occur. A third, recent...
Article
Song divergence among populations can theoretically lead to reproductive divergence and speciation. Despite many studies, this theory is still controversial. Habitat differences have been shown to shape songs, but few studies have looked for a link between ecologically driven acoustic and genetic divergence. We tested whether environmental selectio...