Dr Gareth Pearce

Gareth’s research group focuses on three main areas: (1) animal health - welfare - behaviour interactions in farm animals particularly cattle and pigs; (2) ecology and conservation of wild animals particularly aquatic animals; (3) animal paleopathology - the study of disease and injury in animal remains from archaeological sites to inform our understanding of human-animal interactions in the past.

Research has included analysis of behavioural and physiological indicators of stress and individual temperament in dairy cattle in the UK, methods to assess the welfare of cattle in Nepal, use of social network analysis to investigate disease dynamics and welfare in populations of free-living wild animals (meerkats in the South African Kalahari) and farmed animals (Atlantic salmon in Norway),  use of underwater ultrasonography and stereo video photogammetry to study the reproductive ecology of reef manta rays and reconstruction of activities in life in horses from Early Modern England from skeletal bone adaptations.

BSc(AgSci) BVSc MA MVS PhD GradCertEd(HE) PgCertAqVetS PgCertIAWEL Dipl.ECPHM MRCVS FSAScot FLS

Member of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons

Fellow of the Linnean Society

Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries (Scotland)

Google Scholar - list of all publications 

Lessons from lesions: a ONE paleopathological approach to understanding entheseal change in elite horses from post-medieval England. Richard Thomas, Rachel Small, Riley Snyder, Eric Tourigny and Gareth Pearce. (2024). 51st Annual North American Meeting of the Paleopathology Association, Los Angeles, March 2024.

Use of underwater contactless ultrasonography to elucidate the internal anatomy and reproductive activity of manta and devil rays (family: Mobulidae). Niv Froman, Marie-Aude Genain, Guy M. W. Stevens, Gareth P. Pearce (2023). Journal of Fish Biology, 1– 19. https://doi.org/10.1111/jfb.15423

Identifying cow temperament to reduce incidence of infectious disease and improve milk yield in early lactation. Britten, N. and Pearce, G. P. (2022). World Buiatrics Congress, Madrid, Sept 2022: Cattle Welfare I: 7.

Utilising infra-red thermography to evaluate rumen development in dairy youngstock. Britten, N., Hopper, R. and Pearce, G. P. (2022). World Buiatrics Congress, Madrid, Sept 2022: Nutrition & Metabolism Diseases I: 11.

Temperament, health and fertility outcomes in dairy cattle. Britten, N. and Pearce, G. P. (2021) Advances in Animal Biosciences 12: 125.

Laterality and temperament in dairy cattle. Britten, N. and Pearce, G. P. (2021) Recent Advances in Animal Welfare Science VIII.

Quantifying temperament using behavioural testing in adult dairy cattle. Britten, N. and Pearce, G. P. (2021) Advances in Animal Biosciences 12: 124.

Laterality and social behaviour in dairy cattle. Britten, N. and Pearce, G. P. (2021) Recent Advances in Animal Welfare Science VIII.

Investigating the relationship between temperament and social role in dairy cattle. Britten, N. and Pearce, G. P. (2020) Advances in Animal Biosciences 11: 183.

Underwater, contactless and portable ultrasonography: a new non-invasive methodology to study the internal anatomy and reproduction of reef manta rays. Froman, N., Genain, M-A., Stevens, G., Rochester, R., Dunbar, L. and Pearce, G. (2019). Australian Marine Sciences Association "Marine Science for a Blue Economy" Conference 2019: 95.

Factors influencing whitetip (Triaenodon obesus) and blacktip (Carcharhinus melanopterus) reef shark sightings associated with the dive tourism industry. Selman, R., Prokop, N., Restif, O., Froman, N. and Pearce, G. (2019). Australian Marine Sciences Association "Marine Science for a Blue Economy" Conference 2019: 228.