El volumen de la glándula uropigial y la infección por malaria varía entre hábitats urbano-rural en el gorrión común
(2020) In Ecosistemas 29(2).- Abstract
All the organisms have developed defensive against different (parasites, harsh environmental conditions or contaminants) to which they should face in their environments. To deal with these selective factors, birds have developed defensive mechanisms such as the uropygial gland, which produces a secretion acting as a physico-chemical defensive barrier against a high diversity of ectoparasites and prevent the potential transmission of blood parasites. Therefore, this secretion plays a fundamental role on the feather resistance to abrasion. However, there is still little knowledge about the functional adaptations of this gland to different environments. Here, we analysed the variation in uropygial gland volume in relation to different... (More)
All the organisms have developed defensive against different (parasites, harsh environmental conditions or contaminants) to which they should face in their environments. To deal with these selective factors, birds have developed defensive mechanisms such as the uropygial gland, which produces a secretion acting as a physico-chemical defensive barrier against a high diversity of ectoparasites and prevent the potential transmission of blood parasites. Therefore, this secretion plays a fundamental role on the feather resistance to abrasion. However, there is still little knowledge about the functional adaptations of this gland to different environments. Here, we analysed the variation in uropygial gland volume in relation to different habitats (rural vs. urban) and to malaria infection in house sparrows (Passer domesticus). Our results showed that rural sparrows infected with malaria had the lowest uropygial volume. Furthermore, we found a positive relationship between uropygial gland volume and body condition, regardless of habitat, sex or prevalence of infection (infected or uninfected). These findings highlight the important role of this gland in the avian body condition and on its adaptation to different environments.
(Less)
- author
- Magallanes, S. ; García-Longoria, L. LU ; Muriel, J. ; De Lope, F. and Marzal, A. LU
- organization
- alternative title
- Variation of uropygial gland volume and malaria infection between urban-rural environment in the house sparrow
- publishing date
- 2020
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- published
- subject
- keywords
- Body condition, Haemoproteus, Passer domesticus, Plasmodium, Rural and urban environment, Uropygial secretion
- in
- Ecosistemas
- volume
- 29
- issue
- 2
- article number
- 1977
- publisher
- Asociacion Espanola de Ecologia Terrestre
- external identifiers
-
- scopus:85093658439
- ISSN
- 1697-2473
- DOI
- 10.7818/ECOS.1977
- language
- Spanish
- LU publication?
- yes
- id
- 8c533bb6-5ab5-4160-9154-95c3dea4da98
- date added to LUP
- 2020-11-12 07:50:59
- date last changed
- 2024-04-03 17:17:53
@article{8c533bb6-5ab5-4160-9154-95c3dea4da98,
abstract = {{<p>All the organisms have developed defensive against different (parasites, harsh environmental conditions or contaminants) to which they should face in their environments. To deal with these selective factors, birds have developed defensive mechanisms such as the uropygial gland, which produces a secretion acting as a physico-chemical defensive barrier against a high diversity of ectoparasites and prevent the potential transmission of blood parasites. Therefore, this secretion plays a fundamental role on the feather resistance to abrasion. However, there is still little knowledge about the functional adaptations of this gland to different environments. Here, we analysed the variation in uropygial gland volume in relation to different habitats (rural vs. urban) and to malaria infection in house sparrows (Passer domesticus). Our results showed that rural sparrows infected with malaria had the lowest uropygial volume. Furthermore, we found a positive relationship between uropygial gland volume and body condition, regardless of habitat, sex or prevalence of infection (infected or uninfected). These findings highlight the important role of this gland in the avian body condition and on its adaptation to different environments.</p>}},
author = {{Magallanes, S. and García-Longoria, L. and Muriel, J. and De Lope, F. and Marzal, A.}},
issn = {{1697-2473}},
keywords = {{Body condition; Haemoproteus; Passer domesticus; Plasmodium; Rural and urban environment; Uropygial secretion}},
language = {{spa}},
number = {{2}},
publisher = {{Asociacion Espanola de Ecologia Terrestre}},
series = {{Ecosistemas}},
title = {{El volumen de la glándula uropigial y la infección por malaria varía entre hábitats urbano-rural en el gorrión común}},
url = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.7818/ECOS.1977}},
doi = {{10.7818/ECOS.1977}},
volume = {{29}},
year = {{2020}},
}