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Isotope signatures in winter moulted feathers predict malaria prevalence in a breeding avian host

Yohannes, Elizabeth ; Hansson, Bengt LU orcid ; Lee, Raymond W. ; Waldenstrom, Jonas ; Westerdahl, Helena LU ; Åkesson, Mikael LU ; Hasselquist, Dennis LU and Bensch, Staffan LU orcid (2008) In Oecologia 158(2). p.299-306
Abstract
It is widely accepted that animal distribution and migration strategy might have co-evolved in relation to selection pressures exerted by parasites. Here, we first determined the prevalence and types of malaria blood parasites in a breeding population of great reed warblers Acrocephalus arundinaceus using PCR. Secondly, we tested for differences in individual feather stable isotope signatures (delta C-13, delta N-15, delta D and delta S-34) to investigate whether malaria infected and non-infected birds had occupied different areas in winter. We show that birds moulting in Afro-tropical habitats with significantly higher delta C-13 and delta N-15 but lower delta D and delta S-34 values were more frequently infected with malaria parasites.... (More)
It is widely accepted that animal distribution and migration strategy might have co-evolved in relation to selection pressures exerted by parasites. Here, we first determined the prevalence and types of malaria blood parasites in a breeding population of great reed warblers Acrocephalus arundinaceus using PCR. Secondly, we tested for differences in individual feather stable isotope signatures (delta C-13, delta N-15, delta D and delta S-34) to investigate whether malaria infected and non-infected birds had occupied different areas in winter. We show that birds moulting in Afro-tropical habitats with significantly higher delta C-13 and delta N-15 but lower delta D and delta S-34 values were more frequently infected with malaria parasites. Based on established patterns of isotopic distributions, our results indicate that moulting sites with higher incidence of malaria are generally drier and situated further to the north in West Africa than sites with lower incidence of malaria. Our findings are pertinent to the general hypothesis that animal distribution and particularly avian migration strategy might evolve in response to selection pressures exerted by parasites at different geographic scales. Tradeoffs between investment in energy demanding life history traits (e.g. migration and winter moult) and immune function are suggested to contribute to the particular choice of habitat during migration and at wintering sites. (Less)
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author
; ; ; ; ; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
malaria, Stable isotopes, Avian, Great reed warbler, Moult, Bird migration
in
Oecologia
volume
158
issue
2
pages
299 - 306
publisher
Springer
external identifiers
  • wos:000260293700011
  • scopus:54349109758
  • pmid:18810501
ISSN
1432-1939
DOI
10.1007/s00442-008-1138-3
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
6030f8de-0b6b-4c97-aaaa-42e1bd8c0a4c (old id 1284586)
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 14:02:36
date last changed
2024-10-12 02:18:05
@article{6030f8de-0b6b-4c97-aaaa-42e1bd8c0a4c,
  abstract     = {{It is widely accepted that animal distribution and migration strategy might have co-evolved in relation to selection pressures exerted by parasites. Here, we first determined the prevalence and types of malaria blood parasites in a breeding population of great reed warblers Acrocephalus arundinaceus using PCR. Secondly, we tested for differences in individual feather stable isotope signatures (delta C-13, delta N-15, delta D and delta S-34) to investigate whether malaria infected and non-infected birds had occupied different areas in winter. We show that birds moulting in Afro-tropical habitats with significantly higher delta C-13 and delta N-15 but lower delta D and delta S-34 values were more frequently infected with malaria parasites. Based on established patterns of isotopic distributions, our results indicate that moulting sites with higher incidence of malaria are generally drier and situated further to the north in West Africa than sites with lower incidence of malaria. Our findings are pertinent to the general hypothesis that animal distribution and particularly avian migration strategy might evolve in response to selection pressures exerted by parasites at different geographic scales. Tradeoffs between investment in energy demanding life history traits (e.g. migration and winter moult) and immune function are suggested to contribute to the particular choice of habitat during migration and at wintering sites.}},
  author       = {{Yohannes, Elizabeth and Hansson, Bengt and Lee, Raymond W. and Waldenstrom, Jonas and Westerdahl, Helena and Åkesson, Mikael and Hasselquist, Dennis and Bensch, Staffan}},
  issn         = {{1432-1939}},
  keywords     = {{malaria; Stable isotopes; Avian; Great reed warbler; Moult; Bird migration}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{2}},
  pages        = {{299--306}},
  publisher    = {{Springer}},
  series       = {{Oecologia}},
  title        = {{Isotope signatures in winter moulted feathers predict malaria prevalence in a breeding avian host}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00442-008-1138-3}},
  doi          = {{10.1007/s00442-008-1138-3}},
  volume       = {{158}},
  year         = {{2008}},
}