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Hinneberg H, Bamann T, Geue JC, Foerster K, Thomassen HA, Kupfer A. Truly invasive or simply non‐native? Insights from an artificial crested newt hybrid zone. Conservat Sci and Prac 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/csp2.12752] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Heiko Hinneberg
- University of Applied Forest Sciences Rottenburg Germany
- University of Tübingen, Institute of Evolution and Ecology Tübingen Germany
| | | | - Julia C. Geue
- Umeå University, Department of Ecology and Environmental Sciences Umeå Sweden
| | - Katharina Foerster
- University of Tübingen, Institute of Evolution and Ecology Tübingen Germany
| | - Henri A. Thomassen
- University of Tübingen, Institute of Evolution and Ecology Tübingen Germany
| | - Alexander Kupfer
- Department of Zoology, State Museum of Natural History Stuttgart Stuttgart Germany
- Institute of Biology, University of Hohenheim Stuttgart Germany
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Glück M, Geue JC, Thomassen HA. Environmental differences explain subtle yet detectable genetic structure in a widespread pollinator. BMC Ecol Evol 2022; 22:8. [PMID: 35105300 PMCID: PMC8808969 DOI: 10.1186/s12862-022-01963-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2021] [Accepted: 01/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The environment is a strong driver of genetic structure in many natural populations, yet often neglected in population genetic studies. This may be a particular problem in vagile species, where subtle structure cannot be explained by limitations to dispersal. Consequently, these species might falsely be considered quasi-panmictic and hence potentially mismanaged. A species this might apply to, is the buff-tailed bumble bee (Bombus terrestris), an economically important and widespread pollinator, which is considered to be quasi-panmictic at mainland continental scales. Here we aimed to (i) quantify genetic structure in 21+ populations of the buff-tailed bumble bee, sampled throughout two Eastern European countries, and (ii) analyse the degree to which structure is explained by environmental differences, habitat permeability and geographic distance. Using 12 microsatellite loci, we characterised populations of this species with Fst analyses, complemented by discriminant analysis of principal components and Bayesian clustering approaches. We then applied generalized dissimilarity modelling to simultaneously assess the informativeness of geographic distance, habitat permeability and environmental differences among populations in explaining divergence. RESULTS Genetic structure of the buff-tailed bumble bee quantified by means of Fst was subtle and not detected by Bayesian clustering. Discriminant analysis of principal components suggested insignificant but still noticeable structure that slightly exceeded estimates obtained through Fst analyses. As expected, geographic distance and habitat permeability were not informative in explaining the spatial pattern of genetic divergence. Yet, environmental variables related to temperature, vegetation and topography were highly informative, explaining between 33 and 39% of the genetic variation observed. CONCLUSIONS In contrast to previous studies reporting quasi-panmixia in continental populations of this species, we demonstrated the presence of subtle population structure related to environmental heterogeneity. Environmental data proved to be highly useful in unravelling the drivers of genetic structure in this vagile and opportunistic species. We highlight the potential of including these data to obtain a better understanding of population structure and the processes driving it in species considered to be quasi-panmictic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcel Glück
- Comparative Zoology, Institute of Evolution and Ecology, Tübingen University, Tübingen, Germany.
| | - Julia C Geue
- Department of Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Henri A Thomassen
- Comparative Zoology, Institute of Evolution and Ecology, Tübingen University, Tübingen, Germany
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Smith TB, Fuller TL, Zhen Y, Zaunbrecher V, Thomassen HA, Njabo K, Anthony NM, Gonder MK, Buermann W, Larison B, Ruegg K, Harrigan RJ. Genomic vulnerability and socio-economic threats under climate change in an African rainforest bird. Evol Appl 2021; 14:1239-1247. [PMID: 34025764 PMCID: PMC8127712 DOI: 10.1111/eva.13193] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2020] [Revised: 12/26/2020] [Accepted: 12/29/2020] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Preserving biodiversity under rapidly changing climate conditions is challenging. One approach for estimating impacts and their magnitude is to model current relationships between genomic and environmental data and then to forecast those relationships under future climate scenarios. In this way, understanding future genomic and environmental relationships can help guide management decisions, such as where to establish new protected areas where populations might be buffered from high temperatures or major changes in rainfall. However, climate warming is only one of many anthropogenic threats one must consider in rapidly developing parts of the world. In Central Africa, deforestation, mining, and infrastructure development are accelerating population declines of rainforest species. Here we investigate multiple anthropogenic threats in a Central African rainforest songbird, the little greenbul (Andropadus virens). We examine current climate and genomic variation in order to explore the association between genome and environment under future climate conditions. Specifically, we estimate Genomic Vulnerability, defined as the mismatch between current and predicted future genomic variation based on genotype-environment relationships modeled across contemporary populations. We do so while considering other anthropogenic impacts. We find that coastal and central Cameroon populations will require the greatest shifts in adaptive genomic variation, because both climate and land use in these areas are predicted to change dramatically. In contrast, in the more northern forest-savanna ecotones, genomic shifts required to keep pace with climate will be more moderate, and other anthropogenic impacts are expected to be comparatively low in magnitude. While an analysis of diverse taxa will be necessary for making comprehensive conservation decisions, the species-specific results presented illustrate how evolutionary genomics and other anthropogenic threats may be mapped and used to inform mitigation efforts. To this end, we present an integrated conceptual model demonstrating how the approach for a single species can be expanded to many taxonomically diverse species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas B. Smith
- Center for Tropical ResearchInstitute of the Environment & SustainabilityUniversity of California Los AngelesLos AngelesCAUSA
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary BiologyUniversity of California Los AngelesLos AngelesCAUSA
| | - Trevon L. Fuller
- Center for Tropical ResearchInstitute of the Environment & SustainabilityUniversity of California Los AngelesLos AngelesCAUSA
| | - Ying Zhen
- Zhejiang Provincial Laboratory of Life Sciences and BiomedicineKey Laboratory of Structural Biology of Zhejiang ProvinceSchool of Life SciencesWestlake UniversityHangzhouChina
- Institute of BiologyWestlake Institute for Advanced StudyHangzhouChina
| | - Virginia Zaunbrecher
- Center for Tropical ResearchInstitute of the Environment & SustainabilityUniversity of California Los AngelesLos AngelesCAUSA
| | | | - Kevin Njabo
- Center for Tropical ResearchInstitute of the Environment & SustainabilityUniversity of California Los AngelesLos AngelesCAUSA
| | - Nicola M. Anthony
- Department of Biological SciencesUniversity of New OrleansNew OrleansLAUSA
| | | | | | - Brenda Larison
- Center for Tropical ResearchInstitute of the Environment & SustainabilityUniversity of California Los AngelesLos AngelesCAUSA
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary BiologyUniversity of California Los AngelesLos AngelesCAUSA
| | - Kristen Ruegg
- Department of BiologyColorado State UniversityFort CollinsCOUSA
| | - Ryan J. Harrigan
- Center for Tropical ResearchInstitute of the Environment & SustainabilityUniversity of California Los AngelesLos AngelesCAUSA
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Köhler H, Capowiez Y, Mazzia C, Eckstein H, Kaczmarek N, Bilton MC, Burmester JKY, Capowiez L, Chueca LJ, Favilli L, Florit Gomila J, Manganelli G, Mazzuca S, Moreno‐Rueda G, Peschke K, Piro A, Quintana Cardona J, Sawallich L, Staikou AE, Thomassen HA, Triebskorn R. Experimental simulation of environmental warming selects against pigmented morphs of land snails. Ecol Evol 2021; 11:1111-1130. [PMID: 33598118 PMCID: PMC7863387 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.7002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2020] [Revised: 10/14/2020] [Accepted: 10/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
In terrestrial snails, thermal selection acts on shell coloration. However, the biological relevance of small differences in the intensity of shell pigmentation and the associated thermodynamic, physiological, and evolutionary consequences for snail diversity within the course of environmental warming are still insufficiently understood. To relate temperature-driven internal heating, protein and membrane integrity impairment, escape behavior, place of residence selection, water loss, and mortality, we used experimentally warmed open-top chambers and field observations with a total of >11,000 naturally or experimentally colored individuals of the highly polymorphic species Theba pisana (O.F. MÜller, 1774). We show that solar radiation in their natural Mediterranean habitat in Southern France poses intensifying thermal stress on increasingly pigmented snails that cannot be compensated for by behavioral responses. Individuals of all morphs acted neither jointly nor actively competed in climbing behavior, but acted similarly regardless of neighbor pigmentation intensity. Consequently, dark morphs progressively suffered from high internal temperatures, oxidative stress, and a breakdown of the chaperone system. Concomitant with increasing water loss, mortality increased with more intense pigmentation under simulated global warming conditions. In parallel with an increase in mean ambient temperature of 1.34°C over the past 30 years, the mortality rate of pigmented individuals in the field is, currently, about 50% higher than that of white morphs. A further increase of 1.12°C, as experimentally simulated in our study, would elevate this rate by another 26%. For 34 T. pisana populations from locations that are up to 2.7°C warmer than our experimental site, we show that both the frequency of pigmented morphs and overall pigmentation intensity decrease with an increase in average summer temperatures. We therefore predict a continuing strong decline in the frequency of pigmented morphs and a decrease in overall pigmentation intensity with ongoing global change in areas with strong solar radiation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heinz‐R. Köhler
- Animal Physiological EcologyInstitute for Evolution and EcologyUniversity of TübingenTübingenGermany
| | | | - Christophe Mazzia
- Mediterranean Institute of Marine and Terrestrial Biodiversity and Ecology (IMBE) UMR 7263AMU, CNRSUniversité d´AvignonAvignon Cedex 9France
| | - Helene Eckstein
- Animal Physiological EcologyInstitute for Evolution and EcologyUniversity of TübingenTübingenGermany
| | - Nils Kaczmarek
- Animal Physiological EcologyInstitute for Evolution and EcologyUniversity of TübingenTübingenGermany
| | - Mark C. Bilton
- Namibian University of Science and TechnologyWindhoekNamibia
| | - Janne K. Y. Burmester
- Animal Physiological EcologyInstitute for Evolution and EcologyUniversity of TübingenTübingenGermany
| | | | - Luis J. Chueca
- Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research CentreFrankfurt am MainGermany
- Department of Zoology and Animal Cell BiologyFaculty of PharmacyUniversity of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU)Vitoria‐GasteizSpain
| | - Leonardo Favilli
- Dipartimento di Scienze Fisiche, della Terra e dell'AmbienteSezione di Scienze AmbientaliUniversità degli Studi di SienaSienaItaly
| | | | - Giuseppe Manganelli
- Dipartimento di Scienze Fisiche, della Terra e dell'AmbienteSezione di Scienze AmbientaliUniversità degli Studi di SienaSienaItaly
| | - Silvia Mazzuca
- Lab of Plant Biology and Plant ProteomicsDepartment of Chemistry and Chemical TechnologiesUniversity of CalabriaRendeItaly
| | | | - Katharina Peschke
- Animal Physiological EcologyInstitute for Evolution and EcologyUniversity of TübingenTübingenGermany
| | - Amalia Piro
- Lab of Plant Biology and Plant ProteomicsDepartment of Chemistry and Chemical TechnologiesUniversity of CalabriaRendeItaly
| | - Josep Quintana Cardona
- Institut Català de Paleontologia Miquel CrusafontUniversitat Autònoma de BarcelonaEdifici ICTA‐ICP, campus de la UABBarcelonaSpain
- Ciutadella de MenorcaIlles BalearsSpain
| | - Lilith Sawallich
- Animal Physiological EcologyInstitute for Evolution and EcologyUniversity of TübingenTübingenGermany
| | - Alexandra E. Staikou
- Department of ZoologySchool of BiologyAristotle University of ThessalonikiThessalonikiGreece
| | - Henri A. Thomassen
- Comparative ZoologyInstitute for Evolution and EcologyUniversity of TübingenTübingenGermany
| | - Rita Triebskorn
- Animal Physiological EcologyInstitute for Evolution and EcologyUniversity of TübingenTübingenGermany
- Steinbeis‐Transfer Centre for Ecotoxicology and EcophysiologyRottenburgGermany
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Geue JC, Thomassen HA. Unraveling the habitat preferences of two closely related bumble bee species in Eastern Europe. Ecol Evol 2020; 10:4773-4790. [PMID: 32551060 PMCID: PMC7297791 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.6232] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2019] [Revised: 02/20/2020] [Accepted: 02/24/2020] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Co-occurrence of closely related species is often explained through resource partitioning, where key morphological or life-history traits evolve under strong divergent selection. In bumble bees (genus Bombus), differences in tongue lengths, nest sites, and several life-history traits are the principal factors in resource partitioning. However, the buff-tailed and white-tailed bumble bee (Bombus terrestris and B. lucorum respectively) are very similar in morphology and life history, but their ranges nevertheless partly overlap, raising the question how they are ecologically divergent. What little is known about the environmental factors determining their distributions stems from studies in Central and Western Europe, but even less information is available about their distributions in Eastern Europe, where different subspecies occur. Here, we aimed to disentangle the broad habitat requirements and associated distributions of these species in Romania and Bulgaria. First, we genetically identified sampled individuals from many sites across the study area. We then not only computed species distributions based on presence-only data, but also expanded on these models using relative abundance data. We found that B. terrestris is a more generalist species than previously thought, but that B. lucorum is restricted to forested areas with colder and wetter climates, which in our study area are primarily found at higher elevations. Both vegetation parameters such as annual mean Leaf Area Index and canopy height, as well as climatic conditions, were important in explaining their distributions. Although our models based on presence-only data suggest a large overlap in their respective distributions, results on their relative abundance suggest that the two species replace one another across an environmental gradient correlated to elevation. The inclusion of abundance enhances our understanding of the distribution of these species, supporting the emerging recognition of the importance of abundance data in species distribution modeling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia C. Geue
- Comparative ZoologyInstitute for Evolution and EcologyUniversity of TübingenTübingenGermany
| | - Henri A. Thomassen
- Comparative ZoologyInstitute for Evolution and EcologyUniversity of TübingenTübingenGermany
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Tiee MS, Harrigan RJ, Thomassen HA, Smith TB. Ghosts of infections past: using archival samples to understand a century of monkeypox virus prevalence among host communities across space and time. R Soc Open Sci 2018; 5:171089. [PMID: 29410823 PMCID: PMC5792900 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.171089] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2017] [Accepted: 12/15/2017] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Infectious diseases that originate from multiple wildlife hosts can be complex and problematic to manage. A full understanding is further limited by large temporal and spatial gaps in sampling. However, these limitations can be overcome, in part, by using historical samples, such as those derived from museum collections. Here, we screened over 1000 museum specimens collected over the past 120 years to examine the historical distribution and prevalence of monkeypox virus (MPXV) in five species of African rope squirrel (Funisciurus sp.) collected across Central Africa. We found evidence of MPXV infections in host species as early as 1899, half a century earlier than the first recognized case of MPXV in 1958, supporting the suggestion that historic pox-like outbreaks in humans and non-human primates may have been caused by MPXV rather than smallpox as originally thought. MPX viral DNA was found in 93 of 1038 (9.0%) specimens from five Funisciurus species (F. anerythrus, F. carruthersi, F. congicus, F. lemniscatus and F. pyrropus), of which F. carruthersi and pyrropus had not previously been identified as potential MPXV hosts. We additionally documented relative prevalence rates of infection in museum specimens of Funisciurus and examined the spatial and temporal distribution of MPXV in these potential host species across nearly a hundred years (1899-1993).
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Affiliation(s)
- Madeline S. Tiee
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Institute of the Environment and Sustainability, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Center for Tropical Research, Institute of the Environment and Sustainability, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Ryan J. Harrigan
- Center for Tropical Research, Institute of the Environment and Sustainability, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Henri A. Thomassen
- Center for Tropical Research, Institute of the Environment and Sustainability, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Institute of Evolution and Ecology, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Thomas B. Smith
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Institute of the Environment and Sustainability, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Center for Tropical Research, Institute of the Environment and Sustainability, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
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7
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Ntie S, Davis AR, Hils K, Mickala P, Thomassen HA, Morgan K, Vanthomme H, Gonder MK, Anthony NM. Evaluating the role of Pleistocene refugia, rivers and environmental variation in the diversification of central African duikers (genera Cephalophus and Philantomba). BMC Evol Biol 2017; 17:212. [PMID: 28877669 PMCID: PMC5585889 DOI: 10.1186/s12862-017-1054-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2017] [Accepted: 08/18/2017] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Background This study aims to assess the role that Pleistocene refugia, rivers and local habitat conditions may have played in the evolutionary diversification of three central African duiker species (Cephalophus dorsalis, C. callipygus and Philantomba monticola). Genetic data from geo-referenced feces were collected from a wide range of sites across Central Africa. Historical patterns of population genetic structure were assessed using a ~ 650 bp fragment of the mitochondrial control region and contemporary patterns of genetic differentiation were evaluated using 12 polymorphic microsatellite loci. Results Mitochondrial analyses revealed that populations of C. callipygus and P. monticola in the Gulf of Guinea refugium are distinct from other populations in west central Africa. All three species exhibit signatures of past population expansion across much of the study area consistent with a history of postglacial expansion. There was no strong evidence for a riverine barrier effect in any of the three species, suggesting that duikers can readily cross major rivers. Generalized dissimilarity models (GDM) showed that environmental variation explains most of the nuclear genetic differentiation in both C. callipygus and P. monticola. The forest-savanna transition across central Cameroon and the Plateaux Batéké region in southeastern Gabon show the highest environmentally-associated turnover in genetic variability. A pattern of genetic differentiation was also evident between the coast and forest interior that may reflect differences in precipitation and/or vegetation. Conclusions Findings from this study highlight the historical impact of Pleistocene fragmentation and current influence of environmental variation on genetic structure in duikers. Conservation efforts should therefore target areas that harbor as much environmentally-associated genetic variation as possible in order to maximize species’ capacity to adapt to environmental change. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s12862-017-1054-4) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephan Ntie
- Department of Biology, Université des Sciences et Techniques de Masuku, B.P.943, Franceville, Gabon.,Department of Biological Sciences, University of New Orleans, 2000 Lakeshore Drive, New Orleans, LA, 70148, USA
| | - Anne R Davis
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of New Orleans, 2000 Lakeshore Drive, New Orleans, LA, 70148, USA
| | - Katrin Hils
- Cheetah Conservation Fund, P.O. Box 1755, Otjiwarongo, Namibia.,Comparative Zoology, Institute for Evolution and Ecology, University of Tübingen, Auf der Morgenstelle 28, 72076, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Patrick Mickala
- Department of Biology, Université des Sciences et Techniques de Masuku, B.P.943, Franceville, Gabon
| | - Henri A Thomassen
- Comparative Zoology, Institute for Evolution and Ecology, University of Tübingen, Auf der Morgenstelle 28, 72076, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Katy Morgan
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of New Orleans, 2000 Lakeshore Drive, New Orleans, LA, 70148, USA
| | - Hadrien Vanthomme
- Département Ecologie et Gestion de la Biodiversité, Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, CNRS UMR 7179, Avenue du Petit Château, 91800, Brunoy, France
| | - Mary K Gonder
- Department of Biology, Drexel University, 3245 Chestnut St., Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Nicola M Anthony
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of New Orleans, 2000 Lakeshore Drive, New Orleans, LA, 70148, USA.
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Geue JC, Vágási CI, Schweizer M, Pap PL, Thomassen HA. Environmental selection is a main driver of divergence in house sparrows ( Passer domesticus) in Romania and Bulgaria. Ecol Evol 2016; 6:7954-7964. [PMID: 27891219 PMCID: PMC5108248 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.2509] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2016] [Revised: 08/24/2016] [Accepted: 09/06/2016] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Both neutral and adaptive evolutionary processes can cause population divergence, but their relative contributions remain unclear. We investigated the roles of these processes in population divergence in house sparrows (Passer domesticus) from Romania and Bulgaria, regions characterized by high landscape heterogeneity compared to Western Europe. We asked whether morphological divergence, complemented with genetic data in this human commensal species, was best explained by environmental variation, geographic distance, or landscape resistance—the effort it takes for an individual to disperse from one location to the other—caused by either natural or anthropogenic barriers. Using generalized dissimilarity modeling, a matrix regression technique that fits biotic beta diversity to both environmental predictors and geographic distance, we found that a small set of climate and vegetation variables explained up to ~30% of the observed divergence, whereas geographic and resistance distances played much lesser roles. Our results are consistent with signals of selection on morphological traits and of isolation by adaptation in genetic markers, suggesting that selection by natural environmental conditions shapes population divergence in house sparrows. Our study thus contributes to a growing body of evidence that adaptive evolution may be a major driver of diversification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia C Geue
- Comparative Zoology Institute for Evolution and Ecology University of Tübingen Tübingen Germany
| | - Csongor I Vágási
- MTA-DE 'Lendület' Behavioural Ecology Research Group Department of Evolutionary Zoology and Human Biology University of Debrecen Debrecen Hungary; Evolutionary Ecology Group Hungarian Department of Biology and Ecology Babeş-Bolyai University Cluj- Napoca Romania
| | - Mona Schweizer
- Animal Physiological Ecology Institute for Evolution and Ecology University of Tübingen Tübingen Germany
| | - Péter L Pap
- MTA-DE 'Lendület' Behavioural Ecology Research Group Department of Evolutionary Zoology and Human Biology University of Debrecen Debrecen Hungary; Evolutionary Ecology Group Hungarian Department of Biology and Ecology Babeş-Bolyai University Cluj- Napoca Romania
| | - Henri A Thomassen
- Comparative Zoology Institute for Evolution and Ecology University of Tübingen Tübingen Germany
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Thomassen HA, Tompkins EM, Thalmann O, Anderson DJ, Foerster K. Development and characterization of SNP markers in Nazca boobies using Ion Torrent™ sequencing and high resolution melt analysis. CONSERV GENET RESOUR 2015. [DOI: 10.1007/s12686-015-0458-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
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10
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Mitchell MW, Locatelli S, Sesink Clee PR, Thomassen HA, Gonder MK. Environmental variation and rivers govern the structure of chimpanzee genetic diversity in a biodiversity hotspot. BMC Evol Biol 2015; 15:1. [PMID: 25608511 PMCID: PMC4314796 DOI: 10.1186/s12862-014-0274-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 95] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2014] [Accepted: 12/15/2014] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The mechanisms that underlie the diversification of tropical animals remain poorly understood, but new approaches that combine geo-spatial modeling with spatially explicit genetic data are providing fresh insights on this topic. Data about the diversification of tropical mammals remain particularly sparse, and vanishingly few opportunities exist to study endangered large mammals that increasingly exist only in isolated pockets. The chimpanzees of Cameroon represent a unique opportunity to examine the mechanisms that promote genetic differentiation in tropical mammals because the region is home to two chimpanzee subspecies: Pan troglodytes ellioti and P. t. trogolodytes. Their ranges converge in central Cameroon, which is a geographically, climatically and environmentally complex region that presents an unparalleled opportunity to examine the roles of rivers and/or environmental variation in influencing the evolution of chimpanzee populations. Results We analyzed microsatellite genotypes and mtDNA HVRI sequencing data from wild chimpanzees sampled at a fine geographic scale across Cameroon and eastern Nigeria using a spatially explicit approach based upon Generalized Dissimilarity Modeling. Both the Sanaga River and environmental variation were found to contribute to driving separation of the subspecies. The importance of environmental variation differed among subspecies. Gene-environment associations were weak in P. t. troglodytes, whereas environmental variation was found to play a much larger role in shaping patterns of genetic differentiation in P. t. ellioti. Conclusions We found that both the Sanaga River and environmental variation likely play a role in shaping patterns of chimpanzee genetic diversity. Future studies using single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) data are necessary to further understand how rivers and environmental variation contribute to shaping patterns of genetic variation in chimpanzees. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12862-014-0274-0) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew W Mitchell
- Department of Biology, Drexel University, Philadelphia 19104, Pennsylvania, USA.
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Thomassen HA, Fuller T, Buermann W, Milá B, Kieswetter CM, Jarrín-V P, Cameron SE, Mason E, Schweizer R, Schlunegger J, Chan J, Wang O, Peralvo M, Schneider CJ, Graham CH, Pollinger JP, Saatchi S, Wayne RK, Smith TB. Mapping evolutionary process: a multi-taxa approach to conservation prioritization. Evol Appl 2015; 4:397-413. [PMID: 25567981 PMCID: PMC3352560 DOI: 10.1111/j.1752-4571.2010.00172.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 74] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2010] [Accepted: 10/26/2010] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Human-induced land use changes are causing extensive habitat fragmentation. As a result, many species are not able to shift their ranges in response to climate change and will likely need to adapt in situ to changing climate conditions. Consequently, a prudent strategy to maintain the ability of populations to adapt is to focus conservation efforts on areas where levels of intraspecific variation are high. By doing so, the potential for an evolutionary response to environmental change is maximized. Here, we use modeling approaches in conjunction with environmental variables to model species distributions and patterns of genetic and morphological variation in seven Ecuadorian amphibian, bird, and mammal species. We then used reserve selection software to prioritize areas for conservation based on intraspecific variation or species-level diversity. Reserves selected using species richness and complementarity showed little overlap with those based on genetic and morphological variation. Priority areas for intraspecific variation were mainly located along the slopes of the Andes and were largely concordant among species, but were not well represented in existing reserves. Our results imply that in order to maximize representation of intraspecific variation in reserves, genetic and morphological variation should be included in conservation prioritization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Henri A Thomassen
- Center for Tropical Research, Institute of the Environment, University of California Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Trevon Fuller
- Center for Tropical Research, Institute of the Environment, University of California Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Wolfgang Buermann
- Center for Tropical Research, Institute of the Environment, University of California Los Angeles, CA, USA ; Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences, University of California Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Borja Milá
- Center for Tropical Research, Institute of the Environment, University of California Los Angeles, CA, USA ; Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas Madrid, Spain
| | | | - Pablo Jarrín-V
- Yasuni Research Station, Escuela de Ciencias Biológicas, Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador Quito, Ecuador
| | - Susan E Cameron
- Museum of Comparative Zoology and Center for the Environment, Harvard University Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Eliza Mason
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California Los Angeles, CA, USA ; Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Rena Schweizer
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Jasmin Schlunegger
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Janice Chan
- Center for Tropical Research, Institute of the Environment, University of California Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Ophelia Wang
- Department of Geography and the Environment, University of Texas at Austin Austin, TX, USA
| | - Manuel Peralvo
- Unidad de Biodiversidad y Geografía Aplicada CONDESAN, Quito, Ecuador
| | | | - Catherine H Graham
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, Stony Brook University New York, NY, USA
| | - John P Pollinger
- Center for Tropical Research, Institute of the Environment, University of California Los Angeles, CA, USA ; Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Sassan Saatchi
- Center for Tropical Research, Institute of the Environment, University of California Los Angeles, CA, USA ; Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology Pasadena, CA, USA
| | - Robert K Wayne
- Center for Tropical Research, Institute of the Environment, University of California Los Angeles, CA, USA ; Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Thomas B Smith
- Center for Tropical Research, Institute of the Environment, University of California Los Angeles, CA, USA ; Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California Los Angeles, CA, USA
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Larison B, Harrigan RJ, Thomassen HA, Rubenstein DI, Chan-Golston AM, Li E, Smith TB. How the zebra got its stripes: a problem with too many solutions. R Soc Open Sci 2015; 2:140452. [PMID: 26064590 PMCID: PMC4448797 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.140452] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2014] [Accepted: 12/15/2014] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
The adaptive significance of zebra stripes has thus far eluded understanding. Many explanations have been suggested, including social cohesion, thermoregulation, predation evasion and avoidance of biting flies. Identifying the associations between phenotypic and environmental factors is essential for testing these hypotheses and substantiating existing experimental evidence. Plains zebra striping pattern varies regionally, from heavy black and white striping over the entire body in some areas to reduced stripe coverage with thinner and lighter stripes in others. We examined how well 29 environmental variables predict the variation in stripe characteristics of plains zebra across their range in Africa. In contrast to recent findings, we found no evidence that striping may have evolved to escape predators or avoid biting flies. Instead, we found that temperature successfully predicts a substantial amount of the stripe pattern variation observed in plains zebra. As this association between striping and temperature may be indicative of multiple biological processes, we suggest that the selective agents driving zebra striping are probably multifarious and complex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brenda Larison
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, 610 Charles E. Young Drive South, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
- Center for Tropical Research, Institute of the Environment and Sustainability, University of California, 619 Charles E. Young Drive East, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Ryan J. Harrigan
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, 610 Charles E. Young Drive South, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
- Center for Tropical Research, Institute of the Environment and Sustainability, University of California, 619 Charles E. Young Drive East, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Henri A. Thomassen
- Institute for Evolution and Ecology, University of Tübingen, Building E, Floor 4, Auf der Morgenstelle 28, Tübingen 72076, Germany
| | - Daniel I. Rubenstein
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, 106A Guyot Hall, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
| | - Alec M. Chan-Golston
- Department of Mathematics, University of California, 520 Portola Plaza, Math Sciences Building 6363, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Elizabeth Li
- Department of Mathematics, University of California, 520 Portola Plaza, Math Sciences Building 6363, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Thomas B. Smith
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, 610 Charles E. Young Drive South, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
- Center for Tropical Research, Institute of the Environment and Sustainability, University of California, 619 Charles E. Young Drive East, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
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13
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Harrigan RJ, Thomassen HA, Buermann W, Smith TB. A continental risk assessment of West Nile virus under climate change. Glob Chang Biol 2014; 20:2417-2425. [PMID: 24574161 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.12534] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2013] [Accepted: 12/14/2013] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
Since first introduced to North America in 1999, West Nile virus (WNV) has spread rapidly across the continent, threatening wildlife populations and posing serious health risks to humans. While WNV incidence has been linked to environmental factors, particularly temperature and rainfall, little is known about how future climate change may affect the spread of the disease. Using available data on WNV infections in vectors and hosts collected from 2003-2011 and using a suite of 10 species distribution models, weighted according to their predictive performance, we modeled the incidence of WNV under current climate conditions at a continental scale. Models were found to accurately predict spatial patterns of WNV that were then used to examine how future climate may affect the spread of the disease. Predictions were accurate for cases of human WNV infection in the following year (2012), with areas reporting infections having significantly higher probability of presence as predicted by our models. Projected geographic distributions of WNV in North America under future climate for 2050 and 2080 show an expansion of suitable climate for the disease, driven by warmer temperatures and lower annual precipitation that will result in the exposure of new and naïve host populations to the virus with potentially serious consequences. Our risk assessment identifies current and future hotspots of West Nile virus where mitigation efforts should be focused and presents an important new approach for monitoring vector-borne disease under climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryan J Harrigan
- Center for Tropical Research, Institute of the Environment and Sustainability, University of California, 619 Charles E. Young Drive East, Los Angeles, California, 90095, USA
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14
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Thomassen HA, Freedman AH, Brown DM, Buermann W, Jacobs DK. Regional differences in seasonal timing of rainfall discriminate between genetically distinct East African giraffe taxa. PLoS One 2013; 8:e77191. [PMID: 24194870 PMCID: PMC3806738 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0077191] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2012] [Accepted: 09/08/2013] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Masai (Giraffa tippelskirchi), Reticulated (G. reticulata) and Rothschild's (G. camelopardalis) giraffe lineages in East Africa are morphologically and genetically distinct, yet in Kenya their ranges abut. This raises the question of how divergence is maintained among populations of a large mammal capable of long-distance travel, and which readily hybridize in zoos. Here we test four hypotheses concerning the maintenance of the phylogeographic boundaries among the three taxa: 1) isolation-by-distance; 2) physical barriers to dispersal; 3) general habitat differences resulting in habitat segregation; or 4) regional differences in the seasonal timing of rainfall, and resultant timing of browse availability. We used satellite remotely sensed and climate data to characterize the environment at the locations of genotyped giraffes. Canonical variate analysis, random forest algorithms, and generalized dissimilarity modelling were employed in a landscape genetics framework to identify the predictor variables that best explained giraffes' genetic divergence. We found that regional differences in the timing of precipitation, and resulting green-up associated with the abundance of browse, effectively discriminate between taxa. Local habitat conditions, topographic and human-induced barriers, and geographic distance did not aid in discriminating among lineages. Our results suggest that selection associated with regional timing of events in the annual climatic cycle may help maintain genetic and phenotypic divergence in giraffes. We discuss potential mechanisms of maintaining divergence, and suggest that synchronization of reproduction with seasonal rainfall cycles that are geographically distinct may contribute to reproductive isolation. Coordination of weaning with green-up cycles could minimize the costs of lactation and predation on the young. Our findings are consistent with theory and empirical results demonstrating the efficacy of seasonal or phenologically dictated selection pressures in contributing to the reproductive isolation of parapatric populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Henri A. Thomassen
- Center for Tropical Research, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Adam H. Freedman
- Center for Tropical Research, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
| | - David M. Brown
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
| | - Wolfgang Buermann
- Center for Tropical Research, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
- Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
| | - David K. Jacobs
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
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15
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Thomassen HA, Fuller T, Asefi-Najafabady S, Shiplacoff JAG, Mulembakani PM, Blumberg S, Johnston SC, Kisalu NK, Kinkela TL, Fair JN, Wolfe ND, Shongo RL, LeBreton M, Meyer H, Wright LL, Muyembe JJ, Buermann W, Okitolonda E, Hensley LE, Lloyd-Smith JO, Smith TB, Rimoin AW. Pathogen-host associations and predicted range shifts of human monkeypox in response to climate change in central Africa. PLoS One 2013; 8:e66071. [PMID: 23935820 PMCID: PMC3729955 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0066071] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2012] [Accepted: 05/05/2013] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Climate change is predicted to result in changes in the geographic ranges and local prevalence of infectious diseases, either through direct effects on the pathogen, or indirectly through range shifts in vector and reservoir species. To better understand the occurrence of monkeypox virus (MPXV), an emerging Orthopoxvirus in humans, under contemporary and future climate conditions, we used ecological niche modeling techniques in conjunction with climate and remote-sensing variables. We first created spatially explicit probability distributions of its candidate reservoir species in Africa's Congo Basin. Reservoir species distributions were subsequently used to model current and projected future distributions of human monkeypox (MPX). Results indicate that forest clearing and climate are significant driving factors of the transmission of MPX from wildlife to humans under current climate conditions. Models under contemporary climate conditions performed well, as indicated by high values for the area under the receiver operator curve (AUC), and tests on spatially randomly and non-randomly omitted test data. Future projections were made on IPCC 4(th) Assessment climate change scenarios for 2050 and 2080, ranging from more conservative to more aggressive, and representing the potential variation within which range shifts can be expected to occur. Future projections showed range shifts into regions where MPX has not been recorded previously. Increased suitability for MPX was predicted in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. Models developed here are useful for identifying areas where environmental conditions may become more suitable for human MPX; targeting candidate reservoir species for future screening efforts; and prioritizing regions for future MPX surveillance efforts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Henri A. Thomassen
- Center for Tropical Research, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
- Department of Comparative Zoology, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Trevon Fuller
- Center for Tropical Research, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
| | - Salvi Asefi-Najafabady
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, United States of America
- Institute of the Environment and Sustainability, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
| | - Julia A. G. Shiplacoff
- Center for Tropical Research, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
| | | | - Seth Blumberg
- Fogarty International Center, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
| | - Sara C. Johnston
- United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, Fredrick, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Neville K. Kisalu
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
| | | | - Joseph N. Fair
- Global Viral Forecasting, San Francisco, California, United States of America
| | - Nathan D. Wolfe
- Global Viral Forecasting, San Francisco, California, United States of America
- Stanford University, Program in Human Biology, Stanford, California, United States of America
| | | | - Matthew LeBreton
- Global Viral Forecasting, San Francisco, California, United States of America
| | - Hermann Meyer
- Bundeswehr Institute of Microbiology, Munich, Germany
| | - Linda L. Wright
- The Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Jean-Jacques Muyembe
- National Institute of Biomedical Research, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo
| | - Wolfgang Buermann
- Center for Tropical Research, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
- Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
| | - Emile Okitolonda
- Kinshasa School of Public Health, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo
| | - Lisa E. Hensley
- Medical Countermeasures Initiative, Silver Spring, Maryland, United States of America
| | - James O. Lloyd-Smith
- Fogarty International Center, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
| | - Thomas B. Smith
- Center for Tropical Research, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
| | - Anne W. Rimoin
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
- Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
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Fuller TL, Thomassen HA, Peralvo M, Buermann W, Milá B, Kieswetter CM, Jarrín-V P, Devitt SEC, Mason E, Schweizer RM, Schlunegger J, Chan J, Wang O, Schneider CJ, Pollinger JP, Saatchi S, Graham CH, Wayne RK, Smith TB. Intraspecific morphological and genetic variation of common species predicts ranges of threatened ones. Proc Biol Sci 2013. [DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2013.1237] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
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17
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Fuller TL, Thomassen HA, Peralvo M, Buermann W, Milá B, Kieswetter CM, Jarrín-V P, Devitt SEC, Mason E, Schweizer RM, Schlunegger J, Chan J, Wang O, Schneider CJ, Pollinger JP, Saatchi S, Graham CH, Wayne RK, Smith TB. Intraspecific morphological and genetic variation of common species predicts ranges of threatened ones. Proc Biol Sci 2013; 280:20130423. [PMID: 23595273 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2013.0423] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Predicting where threatened species occur is useful for making informed conservation decisions. However, because they are usually rare, surveying threatened species is often expensive and time intensive. Here, we show how regions where common species exhibit high genetic and morphological divergence among populations can be used to predict the occurrence of species of conservation concern. Intraspecific variation of common species of birds, bats and frogs from Ecuador were found to be a significantly better predictor for the occurrence of threatened species than suites of environmental variables or the occurrence of amphibians and birds. Fully 93 per cent of the threatened species analysed had their range adequately represented by the geographical distribution of the morphological and genetic variation found in seven common species. Both higher numbers of threatened species and greater genetic and morphological variation of common species occurred along elevation gradients. Higher levels of intraspecific divergence may be the result of disruptive selection and/or introgression along gradients. We suggest that collecting data on genetic and morphological variation in common species can be a cost effective tool for conservation planning, and that future biodiversity inventories include surveying genetic and morphological data of common species whenever feasible.
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Affiliation(s)
- Trevon L Fuller
- Center for Tropical Research, Institute of Environment and Sustainability, University of California, Los Angeles, La Kretz Hall, Suite 300, 619 Charles E. Young Dr. East, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA.
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18
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Mendoza E, Fuller TL, Thomassen HA, Buermann W, Ramírez-Mejía D, Smith TB. A preliminary assessment of the effectiveness of the Mesoamerican Biological Corridor for protecting potential Baird's tapir (Tapirus bairdii) habitat in Southern Mexico. Integr Zool 2013; 8:35-47. [PMID: 23586558 DOI: 10.1111/1749-4877.12005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Baird's tapir (Tapirus bairdii) is one of the most emblematic mammals of Mesoamerica, but like other large-bodied animals, it is facing an increasing risk of extinction due primarily to habitat loss. Mexico's 'ortion of the Mesoamerican Biological Corridor (MBC-M) is located in one of the main strongholds for Bairds tapir. To assess the MBC-M's effectiveness for tapir conservation, we estimated the distribution of the species' potential habitat by applying 2 modelling approaches (random forest and Maxent) to a set of uncorrelated environmental variables and a 157-point presence dataset. We calculated the extent of tapir habitat in within the MBC-M and modelled new corridors and conservation areas, which we compared to the MBC-M. Moreover, we assessed deforestation patterns in the region. Twenty-seven percent of highly suitable tapir habitat occurred in protected areas, 15% in corridors and 58.3% was outside the MBC-M and associated reserves. The spatial configuration of the MBC-M was partially concordant with the modelled set of conservation areas and corridors. The main dissimilarity was that the modelled corridors traversed forests in Belize and Guatemala to connect conservation areas. Analyses of deforestation since 1993 and human population density in the vicinity of the MBC-M indicated that future conservation efforts should give particular attention to the Montes Azules-El Triunfo Corridor due to greater habitat threat. The MBC-M has a great potential to play a prominent role in the conservation of tapir habitat but there is an urgent need to implement management plans that reinforce and complement this conservation initiative.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eduardo Mendoza
- Center for Tropical Research, Institute of the Environment and Sustainability, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USADepartment of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USADepartment of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USASchool of Biology, Michoacan University of San Nicolas de Hidalgo, Morelia, Mexico
| | - Trevon L Fuller
- Center for Tropical Research, Institute of the Environment and Sustainability, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USADepartment of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USADepartment of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USASchool of Biology, Michoacan University of San Nicolas de Hidalgo, Morelia, Mexico
| | - Henri A Thomassen
- Center for Tropical Research, Institute of the Environment and Sustainability, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USADepartment of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USADepartment of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USASchool of Biology, Michoacan University of San Nicolas de Hidalgo, Morelia, Mexico
| | - Wolfgang Buermann
- Center for Tropical Research, Institute of the Environment and Sustainability, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USADepartment of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USADepartment of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USASchool of Biology, Michoacan University of San Nicolas de Hidalgo, Morelia, Mexico
| | - Diana Ramírez-Mejía
- Center for Tropical Research, Institute of the Environment and Sustainability, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USADepartment of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USADepartment of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USASchool of Biology, Michoacan University of San Nicolas de Hidalgo, Morelia, Mexico
| | - Thomas B Smith
- Center for Tropical Research, Institute of the Environment and Sustainability, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USADepartment of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USADepartment of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USASchool of Biology, Michoacan University of San Nicolas de Hidalgo, Morelia, Mexico
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Baldassarre DT, Thomassen HA, Karubian J, Webster MS. The role of ecological variation in driving divergence of sexual and non-sexual traits in the red-backed fairy-wren (Malurus melanocephalus). BMC Evol Biol 2013; 13:75. [PMID: 23536958 PMCID: PMC3639809 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2148-13-75] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2012] [Accepted: 03/20/2013] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Many species exhibit geographic variation in sexual signals, and divergence in these traits may lead to speciation. Sexual signals may diverge due to differences in ecology if the environment constrains signal production or transmission. Alternatively, sexual signals may diverge stochastically through sexual selection or genetic drift, with little environmental influence. To distinguish between these alternatives we quantified variation in two putative sexual signals – tail length and plumage color – and a suite of non-sexual morphometric traits across the geographic range of the red-backed fairy-wren (Malurus melanocephalus). We then tested for associations between these traits and a number of environmental variables using generalized dissimilarity models. Results Variation in morphometric traits was explained well by environmental variation, irrespective of geographic distance between sites. Among putative signals, variation in plumage color was best explained by geographic distance, whereas tail length was best explained by environmental variation. Divergence in male plumage color was not coincident with the boundary between genetic lineages, but was greatest across a contact zone located 300 km east of the genetic boundary. Conclusions Morphometric traits describing size and shape have likely been subject to ecological selection and thus appear to track local environmental variation regardless of subspecies identity. Ecological selection appears to have also influenced the evolution of tail length as a signal, but has played a limited role in shaping geographic variation in plumage color, consistent with stochastic divergence in concert with Fisherian selection on this trait. The lack of coincidence between the genetic boundary and the contact zone between plumage types suggests that the sexual plumage signal of one subspecies has introgressed into the genetic background of the other. Thus, this study provides insight into the various ways in which signal evolution may occur within a species, and the geographic patterns of signal variation that can arise, especially following secondary contact.
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Abstract
Studies of both vertebrates and invertebrates have suggested that specialists, as compared to generalists, are likely to suffer more serious declines in response to environmental change. Less is known about the effects of environmental conditions on specialist versus generalist parasites. Here, we study the evolutionary strategies of malaria parasites (Plasmodium spp.) among different bird host communities. We determined the parasite diversity and prevalence of avian malaria in three bird communities in the lowland forests in Cameroon, highland forests in East Africa and fynbos in South Africa. We calculated the host specificity index of parasites to examine the range of hosts parasitized as a function of the habitat and investigated the phylogenetic relationships of parasites. First, using phylogenetic and ancestral reconstruction analyses, we found an evolutionary tendency for generalist malaria parasites to become specialists. The transition rate at which generalists become specialists was nearly four times as great as the rate at which specialists become generalists. We also found more specialist parasites and greater parasite diversity in African lowland rainforests as compared to the more climatically variable habitats of the fynbos and the highland forests. Thus, with environmental changes, we anticipate a change in the distribution of both specialist and generalist parasites with potential impacts on bird communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claire Loiseau
- Department of Biology, San Francisco State University, 1600 Holloway Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94132, USA.
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21
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Fuller T, Thomassen HA, Mulembakani PM, Johnston SC, Lloyd-Smith JO, Kisalu NK, Lutete TK, Blumberg S, Fair JN, Wolfe ND, Shongo RL, Formenty P, Meyer H, Wright LL, Muyembe JJ, Buermann W, Saatchi SS, Okitolonda E, Hensley L, Smith TB, Rimoin AW. Using remote sensing to map the risk of human monkeypox virus in the Congo Basin. Ecohealth 2011; 8:14-25. [PMID: 21069425 PMCID: PMC3237841 DOI: 10.1007/s10393-010-0355-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2010] [Revised: 09/12/2010] [Accepted: 09/30/2010] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
Although the incidence of human monkeypox has greatly increased in Central Africa over the last decade, resources for surveillance remain extremely limited. We conducted a geospatial analysis using existing data to better inform future surveillance efforts. Using active surveillance data collected between 2005 and 2007, we identified locations in Sankuru district, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) where there have been one or more cases of human monkeypox. To assess what taxa constitute the main reservoirs of monkeypox, we tested whether human cases were associated with (i) rope squirrels (Funisciurus sp.), which were implicated in monkeypox outbreaks elsewhere in the DRC in the 1980s, or (ii) terrestrial rodents in the genera Cricetomys and Graphiurus, which are believed to be monkeypox reservoirs in West Africa. Results suggest that the best predictors of human monkeypox cases are proximity to dense forests and associated habitat preferred by rope squirrels. The risk of contracting monkeypox is significantly greater near sites predicted to be habitable for squirrels (OR = 1.32; 95% CI 1.08-1.63). We recommend that semi-deciduous rainforests with oil-palm, the rope squirrel's main food source, be prioritized for monitoring.
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Affiliation(s)
- Trevon Fuller
- Center for Tropical Research, Institute of the Environment, University of California, Los Angeles, 619 Charles E. Young Dr. East, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1496 USA
| | - Henri A. Thomassen
- Center for Tropical Research, Institute of the Environment, University of California, Los Angeles, 619 Charles E. Young Dr. East, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1496 USA
| | | | - Sara C. Johnston
- United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, Frederick, MD USA
| | - James O. Lloyd-Smith
- Fogarty International Center, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD USA
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA USA
| | - Neville K. Kisalu
- Department of Microbiology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA USA
| | - Timothee K. Lutete
- Kinshasa School of Public Health, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo
| | - Seth Blumberg
- Fogarty International Center, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD USA
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA USA
| | - Joseph N. Fair
- Global Viral Forecasting Initiative, San Francisco, CA USA
| | | | | | - Pierre Formenty
- Department of Global Alert and Response, World Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Hermann Meyer
- Bundeswehr Institute of Microbiology, Munich, Germany
| | - Linda L. Wright
- The Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, Bethesda, MD USA
| | - Jean-Jacques Muyembe
- National Institute of Biomedical Research, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo
| | - Wolfgang Buermann
- Center for Tropical Research, Institute of the Environment, University of California, Los Angeles, 619 Charles E. Young Dr. East, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1496 USA
- Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, CA USA
| | - Sassan S. Saatchi
- Center for Tropical Research, Institute of the Environment, University of California, Los Angeles, 619 Charles E. Young Dr. East, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1496 USA
- Radar Science Technical Group, Radar Science and Engineering Section, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA USA
| | - Emile Okitolonda
- Kinshasa School of Public Health, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo
| | - Lisa Hensley
- United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, Frederick, MD USA
| | - Thomas B. Smith
- Center for Tropical Research, Institute of the Environment, University of California, Los Angeles, 619 Charles E. Young Dr. East, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1496 USA
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA USA
| | - Anne W. Rimoin
- Fogarty International Center, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD USA
- Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, University of California, 650 Charles E. Young Drive South, CHS 41-275, Los Angeles, CA 90095 USA
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Harrigan RJ, Thomassen HA, Buermann W, Cummings RF, Kahn ME, Smith TB. Economic conditions predict prevalence of West Nile virus. PLoS One 2010; 5:e15437. [PMID: 21103053 PMCID: PMC2980475 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0015437] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2010] [Accepted: 09/21/2010] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Understanding the conditions underlying the proliferation of infectious diseases is crucial for mitigating future outbreaks. Since its arrival in North America in 1999, West Nile virus (WNV) has led to population-wide declines of bird species, morbidity and mortality of humans, and expenditures of millions of dollars on treatment and control. To understand the environmental conditions that best explain and predict WNV prevalence, we employed recently developed spatial modeling techniques in a recognized WNV hotspot, Orange County, California. Our models explained 85–95% of the variation of WNV prevalence in mosquito vectors, and WNV presence in secondary human hosts. Prevalence in both vectors and humans was best explained by economic variables, specifically per capita income, and by anthropogenic characteristics of the environment, particularly human population and neglected swimming pool density. While previous studies have shown associations between anthropogenic change and pathogen presence, results show that poorer economic conditions may act as a direct surrogate for environmental characteristics related to WNV prevalence. Low-income areas may be associated with higher prevalence for a number of reasons, including variations in property upkeep, microhabitat conditions conducive to viral amplification in both vectors and hosts, host community composition, and human behavioral responses related to differences in education or political participation. Results emphasize the importance and utility of including economic variables in mapping spatial risk assessments of disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryan J Harrigan
- Center for Tropical Research, Institute of the Environment, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, United States of America.
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23
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Rimoin AW, Mulembakani PM, Johnston SC, Lloyd Smith JO, Kisalu NK, Kinkela TL, Blumberg S, Thomassen HA, Pike BL, Fair JN, Wolfe ND, Shongo RL, Graham BS, Formenty P, Okitolonda E, Hensley LE, Meyer H, Wright LL, Muyembe JJ. Major increase in human monkeypox incidence 30 years after smallpox vaccination campaigns cease in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2010; 107:16262-7. [PMID: 20805472 PMCID: PMC2941342 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1005769107] [Citation(s) in RCA: 446] [Impact Index Per Article: 31.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Studies on the burden of human monkeypox in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) were last conducted from 1981 to 1986. Since then, the population that is immunologically naïve to orthopoxviruses has increased significantly due to cessation of mass smallpox vaccination campaigns. To assess the current risk of infection, we analyzed human monkeypox incidence trends in a monkeypox-enzootic region. Active, population-based surveillance was conducted in nine health zones in central DRC. Epidemiologic data and biological samples were obtained from suspected cases. Cumulative incidence (per 10,000 population) and major determinants of infection were compared with data from active surveillance in similar regions from 1981 to 1986. Between November 2005 and November 2007, 760 laboratory-confirmed human monkeypox cases were identified in participating health zones. The average annual cumulative incidence across zones was 5.53 per 10,000 (2.18-14.42). Factors associated with increased risk of infection included: living in forested areas, male gender, age < 15, and no prior smallpox vaccination. Vaccinated persons had a 5.2-fold lower risk of monkeypox than unvaccinated persons (0.78 vs. 4.05 per 10,000). Comparison of active surveillance data in the same health zone from the 1980s (0.72 per 10,000) and 2006-07 (14.42 per 10,000) suggests a 20-fold increase in human monkeypox incidence. Thirty years after mass smallpox vaccination campaigns ceased, human monkeypox incidence has dramatically increased in rural DRC. Improved surveillance and epidemiological analysis is needed to better assess the public health burden and develop strategies for reducing the risk of wider spread of infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anne W Rimoin
- University of California, Los Angeles School of Public Health, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA.
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24
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam H Freedman
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California-Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA.
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25
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Fuller TL, Saatchi SS, Curd EE, Toffelmier E, Thomassen HA, Buermann W, DeSante DF, Nott MP, Saracco JF, Ralph CJ, Alexander JD, Pollinger JP, Smith TB. Mapping the risk of avian influenza in wild birds in the US. BMC Infect Dis 2010; 10:187. [PMID: 20573228 PMCID: PMC2912310 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2334-10-187] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2010] [Accepted: 06/23/2010] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Avian influenza virus (AIV) is an important public health issue because pandemic influenza viruses in people have contained genes from viruses that infect birds. The H5 and H7 AIV subtypes have periodically mutated from low pathogenicity to high pathogenicity form. Analysis of the geographic distribution of AIV can identify areas where reassortment events might occur and how high pathogenicity influenza might travel if it enters wild bird populations in the US. Modelling the number of AIV cases is important because the rate of co-infection with multiple AIV subtypes increases with the number of cases and co-infection is the source of reassortment events that give rise to new strains of influenza, which occurred before the 1968 pandemic. Aquatic birds in the orders Anseriformes and Charadriiformes have been recognized as reservoirs of AIV since the 1970s. However, little is known about influenza prevalence in terrestrial birds in the order Passeriformes. Since passerines share the same habitat as poultry, they may be more effective transmitters of the disease to humans than aquatic birds. We analyze 152 passerine species including the American Robin (Turdus migratorius) and Swainson's Thrush (Catharus ustulatus). METHODS We formulate a regression model to predict AIV cases throughout the US at the county scale as a function of 12 environmental variables, sampling effort, and proximity to other counties with influenza outbreaks. Our analysis did not distinguish between types of influenza, including low or highly pathogenic forms. RESULTS Analysis of 13,046 cloacal samples collected from 225 bird species in 41 US states between 2005 and 2008 indicates that the average prevalence of influenza in passerines is greater than the prevalence in eight other avian orders. Our regression model identifies the Great Plains and the Pacific Northwest as high-risk areas for AIV. Highly significant predictors of AIV include the amount of harvested cropland and the first day of the year when a county is snow free. CONCLUSIONS Although the prevalence of influenza in waterfowl has long been appreciated, we show that 22 species of song birds and perching birds (order Passeriformes) are influenza reservoirs in the contiguous US.
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Affiliation(s)
- Trevon L Fuller
- Center for Tropical Research, Institute of the Environment, University of California, Los Angeles, La Kretz Hall, Suite 300, Box 951496, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1496, USA
| | - Sassan S Saatchi
- Center for Tropical Research, Institute of the Environment, University of California, Los Angeles, La Kretz Hall, Suite 300, Box 951496, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1496, USA
- Radar Science Technical Group, Radar Science & Engineering Section, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, 4800 Oak Grove Drive, Pasadena, CA 91109-8099, USA
| | - Emily E Curd
- Center for Tropical Research, Institute of the Environment, University of California, Los Angeles, La Kretz Hall, Suite 300, Box 951496, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1496, USA
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, 621 Charles E. Young Drive South, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1606, USA
| | - Erin Toffelmier
- Center for Tropical Research, Institute of the Environment, University of California, Los Angeles, La Kretz Hall, Suite 300, Box 951496, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1496, USA
| | - Henri A Thomassen
- Center for Tropical Research, Institute of the Environment, University of California, Los Angeles, La Kretz Hall, Suite 300, Box 951496, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1496, USA
| | - Wolfgang Buermann
- Center for Tropical Research, Institute of the Environment, University of California, Los Angeles, La Kretz Hall, Suite 300, Box 951496, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1496, USA
- Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1565, USA
| | - David F DeSante
- The Institute for Bird Populations, P.O. Box 1346, Point Reyes Station, CA 94956-1346, USA
| | - Mark P Nott
- The Institute for Bird Populations, P.O. Box 1346, Point Reyes Station, CA 94956-1346, USA
| | - James F Saracco
- The Institute for Bird Populations, P.O. Box 1346, Point Reyes Station, CA 94956-1346, USA
| | - CJ Ralph
- U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Research Station, Redwood Sciences Laboratory, 1700 Bayview Drive, Arcata, CA 95521, USA
| | | | - John P Pollinger
- Center for Tropical Research, Institute of the Environment, University of California, Los Angeles, La Kretz Hall, Suite 300, Box 951496, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1496, USA
| | - Thomas B Smith
- Center for Tropical Research, Institute of the Environment, University of California, Los Angeles, La Kretz Hall, Suite 300, Box 951496, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1496, USA
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, 621 Charles E. Young Drive South, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1606, USA
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Thomassen HA, Jones KC, Pollinger JP, Smith TB. Characterization of novel microsatellite loci for Myzomela cardinalis and M. rubrata honeyeaters, and cross-amplification in other species. CONSERV GENET RESOUR 2009. [DOI: 10.1007/s12686-009-9135-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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27
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Thomassen HA, Buermann W, Milá B, Graham CH, Cameron SE, Schneider CJ, Pollinger JP, Saatchi S, Wayne RK, Smith TB. Modeling environmentally associated morphological and genetic variation in a rainforest bird, and its application to conservation prioritization. Evol Appl 2009; 3:1-16. [PMID: 25567899 PMCID: PMC3352455 DOI: 10.1111/j.1752-4571.2009.00093.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2009] [Accepted: 06/05/2009] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
To better understand how environment shapes phenotypic and genetic variation, we explore the relationship between environmental variables across Ecuador and genetic and morphological variation in the wedge-billed woodcreeper (Glyphorynchus spirurus), a common Neotropical rainforest bird species. Generalized dissimilarity models show that variation in amplified fragment length polymorphism markers was strongly associated with environmental variables on both sides of the Andes, but could also partially be explained by geographic distance on the western side of the Andes. Tarsus, wing, tail, and bill lengths and bill depth were well explained by environmental variables on the western side of the Andes, whereas only tarsus length was well explained on the eastern side. Regions that comprise the highest rates of genetic and phenotypic change occur along steep elevation gradients in the Andes. Such environmental gradients are likely to be particularly important for maximizing adaptive diversity to minimize the impacts of climate change. Using a framework for conservation prioritization based on preserving ecological and evolutionary processes, we found little overlap between currently protected areas in Ecuador and regions we predicted to be important in maximizing adaptive variation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Henri A Thomassen
- Center for Tropical Research, Institute of the Environment, University of California Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Wolfgang Buermann
- Center for Tropical Research, Institute of the Environment, University of California Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Borja Milá
- Center for Tropical Research, Institute of the Environment, University of California Los Angeles, CA, USA ; Department of Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales Madrid, Spain
| | - Catherine H Graham
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, Stony Brook University New York, NY, USA
| | - Susan E Cameron
- Museum of Comparative Zoology and Center for the Environment, Harvard University Cambridge, MA, USA
| | | | - John P Pollinger
- Center for Tropical Research, Institute of the Environment, University of California Los Angeles, CA, USA ; Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Sassan Saatchi
- Center for Tropical Research, Institute of the Environment, University of California Los Angeles, CA, USA ; Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology Pasadena, CA, USA
| | - Robert K Wayne
- Center for Tropical Research, Institute of the Environment, University of California Los Angeles, CA, USA ; Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Thomas B Smith
- Center for Tropical Research, Institute of the Environment, University of California Los Angeles, CA, USA ; Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California Los Angeles, CA, USA
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28
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Thomassen HA, Gea S, Maas S, Bout RG, Dirckx JJJ, Decraemer WF, Povel GDE. Do Swiftlets have an ear for echolocation? The functional morphology of Swiftlets’ middle ears. Hear Res 2007; 225:25-37. [PMID: 17229537 DOI: 10.1016/j.heares.2006.11.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2006] [Revised: 10/30/2006] [Accepted: 11/15/2006] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
The Oilbird and many Swiftlet species are unique among birds for their ability to echolocate. Echolocaters may benefit from improved hearing sensitivity. Therefore, morphological adaptations to echolocation might be present in echolocating birds' middle ears. We studied the functional morphology of the tympano-ossicular chain of seven specimens of four echolocating Swiftlet species and one specimen each of five non-echolocating species. Three dimensional (3D) reconstructions were made from micro-Computer-Tomographic (muCT) scans. The reconstructions were used in functional morphological analyses and model calculations. A two dimensional (2D) rigid rod model with fixed rotational axes was developed to study footplate output-amplitudes and to describe how changes in the arrangement of the tympano-ossicular chain affect its function. A 3D finite element model was used to predict ossicular-chain movement and to investigate the justification of the 2D approach. No morphological adaptations towards echolocation were found in the middle-ear lever system or in the mass impedance of the middle ear. A wide range of middle-ear configurations result in maximum output-amplitudes and all investigated species are congruent with these predicted best configurations. Echolocation is unlikely to depend on adaptations in the middle ear tympano-ossicular chain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Henri A Thomassen
- Section of Evolutionary Morphology, Institute of Biology Leiden, Leiden University, P.O. Box 9516, 2300 RA Leiden, The Netherlands.
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29
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Thomassen HA, den Tex RJ, de Bakker MAG, Povel GDE. Phylogenetic relationships amongst swifts and swiftlets: a multi locus approach. Mol Phylogenet Evol 2006; 37:264-77. [PMID: 16006151 DOI: 10.1016/j.ympev.2005.05.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2004] [Revised: 05/17/2005] [Accepted: 05/18/2005] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
We recently reconstructed the troublesome swiftlet phylogeny using cytochrome-b mitochondrial DNA sequences. The relationship of the giant swiftlet (Hydrochous gigas) with swiftlets of the genus Aerodramus was, however, unresolved. In an attempt to clarify this issue, we now incorporated mitochondrial 12S rRNA and nuclear beta-fibrinogen intron 7 nuclear DNA sequences with the cyt-b sequences of six swiftlet, two swift, and one hummingbird outgroup species. A partition homogeneity (PH) test, used to determine the congruence of phylogenetic signal between two sets of sequences, suggested that cyt-b and Fib7 sequences were incongruent and therefore should not be combined. However, further analyses revealed that the apparent incongruence was probably due to the high amount of variation in cyt-b sequences. Separate and combined analyses of the three sequences unambiguously placed H. gigas as the sister-group of Aerodramus and supported monophyly of the swiftlets. These results were supported by analyses of combined NADH dehydrogenase subunit-2 (ND2) and cyt-b sequences of H. gigas in combination with sequences previously published by other workers. Recently, it was shown that the pygmy swiftlet (C. troglodytes)--in our phylogenetic analyses consistently placed with other, non-echolocating, Collocalia species--is in fact able to echolocate. Echolocation thereby lost its value to distinguish between different swiftlet genera. Furthermore, the phylogenetic distribution of echolocation can be explained either by its single evolution at the base of the swiftlets, with subsequent loss, or by independent evolution in Aerodramus and C. troglodytes. Because yet unpublished data suggest that only the auditory nuclei in swiftlet brains show adaptations to echolocation, the latter explanation seems the more likely one.
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Affiliation(s)
- Henri A Thomassen
- Section of Evolutionary Morphology, Institute of Biology Leiden, Leiden University, Van der Klaauw Laboratory, The Netherlands.
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Thomassen HA, Wiersema AT, de Bakker MAG, de Knijff P, Hetebrij E, Povel GDE. A new phylogeny of swiftlets (Aves: Apodidae) based on cytochrome-b DNA. Mol Phylogenet Evol 2003; 29:86-93. [PMID: 12967609 DOI: 10.1016/s1055-7903(03)00066-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
Due to a lack of distinctive morphological characters, swift taxonomy and phylogeny has always been an area of disagreement. To shed more light on this subject, we reconstructed swift(let) phylogeny based on 1143 bp of mitochondrial cytochrome-b DNA sequence. Although this is not the first attempt to reconstruct swift phylogeny using molecular data, our results show higher support for many of the branches due to our much longer sequences. However, placement of Hydrochous is still unexpected. Implementation of more conservative genetic regions and sampling of more taxa could solve this problem. Most importantly, the Collocaliini resolve as a monophyletic group. The internal structure of the group shows that non-echolocating Collocalia and echolocating Aerodramus form two distinct clades. This is in congruence with earlier classifications based on morphological characters, but in contrast with more recent classifications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Henri A Thomassen
- Institute of Biology Leiden, Faculty for Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Leiden University, P.O. Box 9516, 2300 RA Leiden, The Netherlands.
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