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Jones W, Reifová R, Reif J, Synek P, Šíma M, Munclinger P. Sympatry in a nightingale contact zone has no effect on host-specific blood parasite prevalence and lineage diversity. Int J Parasitol 2024; 54:357-366. [PMID: 38460721 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpara.2024.03.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2023] [Revised: 02/05/2024] [Accepted: 03/04/2024] [Indexed: 03/11/2024]
Abstract
Parasites are a key driving force behind many ecological and evolutionary processes. Prevalence and diversity of parasites, as well as their effects on hosts, are not uniform across host species. As such, the potential parasite spillover between species can significantly influence outcomes of interspecific interactions. We screened two species of Luscinia nightingales for haemosporidian blood parasites (Plasmodium, Leucocytozoon and Haemoproteus) along an approximately 3000 km transect in Europe, incorporating areas of host distant allopatry, close allopatry and sympatry. We found significant differences in infection rates between the two host species, with common nightingales having much lower parasite prevalence than thrush nightingales (36.7% versus 83.8%). This disparity was mostly driven by Haemoproteus prevalence, which was significantly higher in thrush nightingales while common nightingales had a small, but significantly higher, Plasmodium prevalence. Furthermore, we found no effect of proximity to the contact zone on infection rate in either host species. Despite having lower infection prevalence, common nightingales were infected with a significantly higher diversity of parasite lineages than thrush nightingales, and lineage assemblages differed considerably between the two species, even in sympatry. This pattern was mostly driven by the large diversity of comparatively rare lineages, while the most abundant lineages were shared between the two host species. This suggests that, despite the close evolutionary relationships between the two nightingales, there are significant differences in parasite prevalence and diversity, regardless of the distance from the contact zone. This suggests that spillover of haemosporidian blood parasites is unlikely to contribute towards interspecific interactions in this system.
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Affiliation(s)
- William Jones
- Department of Evolutionary Zoology and Human Biology, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary.
| | - Radka Reifová
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czechia
| | - Jiří Reif
- Institute for Environmental Studies, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czechia; Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Palacky University, Olomouc, Czechia
| | - Petr Synek
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czechia; Biodviser Ltd. Enterprise House 2 Pass Street Oldham, Manchester OL9 6HZ, United Kingdom
| | - Michal Šíma
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czechia; Department of Nanotoxicology and Molecular Epidemiology, Institute of Experimental Medicine, The Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czechia
| | - Pavel Munclinger
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czechia
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Roth AM, Keiser CN, Williams JB, Gee JM. Prevalence and intensity of avian malaria in a quail hybrid zone. Ecol Evol 2021; 11:8123-8135. [PMID: 34188875 PMCID: PMC8216944 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.7645] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2020] [Revised: 04/14/2021] [Accepted: 04/19/2021] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Hybrid zones have been described as natural laboratories by researchers who study speciation and the various mechanisms that may affect gene flow. The evolutionary consequences of hybridization depend not only on reproductive compatibility between sympatric species, but also on factors like vulnerability to each other's predators and parasites. We examined infection patterns of the blood parasite Haemoproteus lophortyx, a causative agent of avian malaria, at a site in the contact zone between California quail (Callipepla californica) and Gambel's quail (C. gambelii). Controlling for the potential influence of sex and year, we tested whether species identity predicted infection status and intensity. We found that infection prevalence was lower in California and hybrid quail compared with Gambel's quail. However, infected California and hybrid quail had higher infection intensities than Gambel's quail. California and hybrid quail exhibited no significant differences in prevalence or intensity of infection. These findings suggest that infection by H. lophortyx has the potential to influence species barrier dynamics in this system; however, more work is necessary to determine the exact evolutionary consequences of this blood parasite on hybridization.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Carl N. Keiser
- Department of BiologyUniversity of FloridaGainesvilleFLUSA
| | - Judson B. Williams
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary BiologyPrinceton UniversityPrincetonNJUSA
- Present address:
Department of SurgeryDuke UniversityRaleighNCUSA
| | - Jennifer M. Gee
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary BiologyPrinceton UniversityPrincetonNJUSA
- Present address:
James San Jacinto Mountains ReserveUniversity of California – RiversideUniversity of California Natural Reserve SystemIdyllwildCAUSA
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Starkloff NC, Turner WC, FitzGerald AM, Oftedal MC, Martinsen ES, Kirchman JJ. Disentangling the effects of host relatedness and elevation on haemosporidian parasite turnover in a clade of songbirds. Ecosphere 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.3497] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Naima C. Starkloff
- Department of Biological Sciences University at Albany, State University of New York Albany New York12222USA
- New York State Museum Albany New York12230USA
| | - Wendy C. Turner
- Department of Biological Sciences University at Albany, State University of New York Albany New York12222USA
| | - Alyssa M. FitzGerald
- Department of Biological Sciences University at Albany, State University of New York Albany New York12222USA
- New York State Museum Albany New York12230USA
- Institute of Marine Sciences University of California Santa Cruz Santa Cruz California95064USA
| | - Michelle C. Oftedal
- Department of Biological Sciences University at Albany, State University of New York Albany New York12222USA
- New York State Museum Albany New York12230USA
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Starkloff NC, Kirchman JJ, Jones AW, Winger BM, Huang Y, Pulgarín‐R PC, Turner WC. Drivers of community turnover differ between avian hemoparasite genera along a North American latitudinal gradient. Ecol Evol 2020; 10:5402-5415. [PMID: 32607162 PMCID: PMC7319150 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.6283] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2019] [Revised: 02/27/2020] [Accepted: 03/21/2020] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The latitudinal diversity gradient (LDG) is an established macroecological pattern, but is poorly studied in microbial organisms, particularly parasites. In this study, we tested whether latitude, elevation, and host species predicted patterns of prevalence, alpha diversity, and community turnover of hemosporidian parasites. We expected parasite diversity to decrease with latitude, alongside the diversity of their hosts and vectors. Similarly, we expected infection prevalence to decrease with latitude as vector abundances decrease. Lastly, we expected parasite community turnover to increase with latitudinal distance and to be higher between rather than within host species. We tested these hypotheses by screening blood and tissue samples of three closely related avian species in a clade of North American songbirds (Turdidae: Catharus, n = 466) across 17.5° of latitude. We used a nested PCR approach to identify parasites in hemosporidian genera that are transmitted by different dipteran vectors. Then, we implemented linear-mixed effects and generalized dissimilarity models to evaluate the effects of latitude, elevation, and host species on parasite metrics. We found high diversity of hemosporidian parasites in Catharus thrushes (n = 44 lineages) but no evidence of latitudinal gradients in alpha diversity or prevalence. Parasites in the genus Leucocytozoon were most prevalent and lineage rich in this study system; however, there was limited turnover with latitude and host species. Contrastingly, Plasmodium parasites were less prevalent and diverse than Leucocytozoon parasites, yet communities turned over at a higher rate with latitude and host species. Leucocytozoon communities were skewed by the dominance of one or two highly prevalent lineages with broad latitudinal distributions. The few studies that evaluate the hemosporidian LDG do not find consistent patterns of prevalence and diversity, which makes it challenging to predict how they will respond to global climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Naima C. Starkloff
- Department of Biological SciencesUniversity at AlbanyState University of New YorkAlbanyNYUSA
- New York State MuseumAlbanyNYUSA
| | | | - Andrew W. Jones
- Department of OrnithologyCleveland Museum of Natural HistoryClevelandOHUSA
| | - Benjamin M. Winger
- Museum of Zoology and Department of Ecology and Evolutionary BiologyUniversity of MichiganAnn ArborMIUSA
| | - Yen‐Hua Huang
- Department of Biological SciencesUniversity at AlbanyState University of New YorkAlbanyNYUSA
| | - Paulo C. Pulgarín‐R
- Laboratorio de Biología Evolutiva de VertebradosDepartamento de Ciencias BiológicasUniversidad de Los AndesBogotáColombia
- Facultad de Ciencias & BiotecnologíaUniversidad CESMedellinColombia
| | - Wendy C. Turner
- Department of Biological SciencesUniversity at AlbanyState University of New YorkAlbanyNYUSA
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Bodawatta KH, Synek P, Bos N, Garcia-Del-Rey E, Koane B, Marki PZ, Albrecht T, Lifjeld J, Poulsen M, Munclinger P, Sam K, Jønsson KA. Spatiotemporal patterns of avian host-parasite interactions in the face of biogeographical range expansions. Mol Ecol 2020; 29:2431-2448. [PMID: 32470165 DOI: 10.1111/mec.15486] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2019] [Revised: 05/06/2020] [Accepted: 05/19/2020] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Exploration of interactions between hosts and parasitic symbionts is important for our understanding of the temporal and spatial distribution of organisms. For example, host colonization of new geographical regions may alter levels of infections and parasite specificity, and even allow hosts to escape from co-evolved parasites, consequently shaping spatial distributions and community structure of both host and parasite. Here we investigate the effect of host colonization of new regions and the elevational distribution of host-parasite associations between birds and their vector-transmitted haemosporidian blood parasites in two geological and geographical settings: mountains of New Guinea and the Canary Islands. Our results demonstrate that bird communities in younger regions have significantly lower levels of parasitism compared to those of older regions. Furthermore, host-parasite network analyses demonstrate that blood parasites may respond differently after arriving to a new region, through adaptations that allow for either expanding (Canary Islands) or retaining (New Guinea) their host niches. The spatial prevalence patterns along elevational gradients differed in the two regions, suggesting that region-specific biotic (e.g., host community) and abiotic factors (e.g., temperature) govern prevalence patterns. Our findings suggest that the spatiotemporal range dynamics in host-parasite systems are driven by multiple factors, but that host and parasite community compositions and colonization histories are of particular importance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kasun H Bodawatta
- Natural History Museum of Denmark, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Petr Synek
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Nick Bos
- Section for Ecology and Evolution, Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Eduardo Garcia-Del-Rey
- Macaronesian Institute of Field Ornithology, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain
| | - Bonny Koane
- The New Guinea Binatang Research Centre, Madang, Papua New Guinea
| | - Petter Z Marki
- Natural History Museum of Denmark, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Tomáš Albrecht
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic.,Institute of Vertebrate Biology, Czech Academy of Sciences, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Jan Lifjeld
- Natural History Museum, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Michael Poulsen
- Section for Ecology and Evolution, Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Pavel Munclinger
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Katerina Sam
- Biology Centre of Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Entomology, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic.,Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic
| | - Knud A Jønsson
- Natural History Museum of Denmark, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
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Host dispersal and landscape conversion are associated with the composition of haemosporidian parasites of the golden-winged warbler. Parasitology 2019; 147:96-107. [DOI: 10.1017/s0031182019001240] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
AbstractUnderstanding factors that influence the spatial and temporal distributions of blood parasites is important to help predict how host species and their parasites may respond to global change. Factors that may influence parasite distributions are land cover and host dispersal patterns, which may result in exposure of a host to novel parasites, or escape from parasites of their origin. We screened golden-winged warblers from across the United States and Canada for blood parasites, and investigated whether land-use patterns or host dispersal affected the prevalence and composition of haemosporidian assemblages. Parasite prevalence varied strongly with study area, and areas with high agricultural cover had a significantly higher prevalence of Leucocytozoon and Parahaemoproteus parasites. Lineages of Parahaemoproteus and Leucocytozoon were genetically differentiated among study areas, and prevalence and composition of parasite assemblages indicated an increase in parasite prevalence and accumulation of unique parasite lineages from the southeast to the northwest. This matches the historical range expansion and natal dispersal patterns of golden-winged warblers, and suggests that golden-winged warblers may have been sensitive to novel parasites as they dispersed. The high prevalence and diversity of parasite lineages in the north-west extent of their breeding range (Manitoba) indicates that this population may face unique pressures.
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