Does avian malaria infection affect feather stable isotope signatures?
(2011) In Oecologia 167(4). p.937-942- Abstract
- It is widely accepted that stable isotope ratios in inert tissues such as feather keratin reflect the dietary isotopic signature at the time of the tissue synthesis. However, some elements such as stable nitrogen isotopes can be affected by individual physiological state and nutritional stress. Using malaria infection experiment protocols, we estimated the possible effect of malaria parasite infections on feather carbon (delta C-13) and nitrogen (delta N-15) isotope signatures in juvenile common crossbills Loxia curvirostra. The birds were experimentally infected with Plasmodium relictum (lineage SGS1) and P. ashfordi (GRW2), two widespread parasites of passerines. Experimental birds developed heavy parasitemia of both parasites and... (More)
- It is widely accepted that stable isotope ratios in inert tissues such as feather keratin reflect the dietary isotopic signature at the time of the tissue synthesis. However, some elements such as stable nitrogen isotopes can be affected by individual physiological state and nutritional stress. Using malaria infection experiment protocols, we estimated the possible effect of malaria parasite infections on feather carbon (delta C-13) and nitrogen (delta N-15) isotope signatures in juvenile common crossbills Loxia curvirostra. The birds were experimentally infected with Plasmodium relictum (lineage SGS1) and P. ashfordi (GRW2), two widespread parasites of passerines. Experimental birds developed heavy parasitemia of both parasites and maintained high levels throughout the experiment (33 days). We found no significant difference between experimental and control birds in both delta C-13 and delta N-15 values of feathers re-grown. The study shows that even heavy primary infections of malaria parasites do not affect feather delta C-13 and delta N-15 isotopic signatures. The results of this experiment demonstrate that feather isotope values of wild-caught birds accurately reflect the dietary isotopic sources at the time of tissue synthesis even when the animal's immune system might be challenged due to parasitic infection. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
https://lup.lub.lu.se/record/2252597
- author
- Yohannes, Elizabeth ; Palinauskas, Vaidas ; Valkiunas, Gediminas ; Lee, Raymond W. ; Bolshakov, Casimir V. and Bensch, Staffan LU
- organization
- publishing date
- 2011
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- published
- subject
- keywords
- Plasmodium, Stable isotopes, Infection experiment, Loxia curvirostra
- in
- Oecologia
- volume
- 167
- issue
- 4
- pages
- 937 - 942
- publisher
- Springer
- external identifiers
-
- wos:000297133800007
- scopus:80855148228
- pmid:21671039
- ISSN
- 1432-1939
- DOI
- 10.1007/s00442-011-2041-x
- project
- Malaria in birds
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- id
- 878c0075-b576-4133-b719-3af1840d44c0 (old id 2252597)
- date added to LUP
- 2016-04-01 14:03:43
- date last changed
- 2022-01-27 22:33:41
@article{878c0075-b576-4133-b719-3af1840d44c0,
abstract = {{It is widely accepted that stable isotope ratios in inert tissues such as feather keratin reflect the dietary isotopic signature at the time of the tissue synthesis. However, some elements such as stable nitrogen isotopes can be affected by individual physiological state and nutritional stress. Using malaria infection experiment protocols, we estimated the possible effect of malaria parasite infections on feather carbon (delta C-13) and nitrogen (delta N-15) isotope signatures in juvenile common crossbills Loxia curvirostra. The birds were experimentally infected with Plasmodium relictum (lineage SGS1) and P. ashfordi (GRW2), two widespread parasites of passerines. Experimental birds developed heavy parasitemia of both parasites and maintained high levels throughout the experiment (33 days). We found no significant difference between experimental and control birds in both delta C-13 and delta N-15 values of feathers re-grown. The study shows that even heavy primary infections of malaria parasites do not affect feather delta C-13 and delta N-15 isotopic signatures. The results of this experiment demonstrate that feather isotope values of wild-caught birds accurately reflect the dietary isotopic sources at the time of tissue synthesis even when the animal's immune system might be challenged due to parasitic infection.}},
author = {{Yohannes, Elizabeth and Palinauskas, Vaidas and Valkiunas, Gediminas and Lee, Raymond W. and Bolshakov, Casimir V. and Bensch, Staffan}},
issn = {{1432-1939}},
keywords = {{Plasmodium; Stable isotopes; Infection experiment; Loxia curvirostra}},
language = {{eng}},
number = {{4}},
pages = {{937--942}},
publisher = {{Springer}},
series = {{Oecologia}},
title = {{Does avian malaria infection affect feather stable isotope signatures?}},
url = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00442-011-2041-x}},
doi = {{10.1007/s00442-011-2041-x}},
volume = {{167}},
year = {{2011}},
}