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Structure and organization of an avian haemosporidian assemblage in a Neotropical savanna in Brazil

Fecchio, Alan ; Lima, Marcos Robalinho LU ; Svensson-Coelho, Maria LU ; Marini, Miguel Ângelo and Ricklefs, Robert E (2013) In Parasitology 140(02). p.181-192
Abstract
Studies on avian haemosporidia are on the rise, but we still lack a basic understanding of how ecological and evolutionary factors mold the distributions of haemosporidia among species in the same bird community. We studied the structure and organization of a local avian haemosporidian assemblage (genera Plasmodium and Haemoproteus) in the Cerrado biome of Central Brazil for 5 years. We obtained 790 blood samples from 54 bird species of which 166 (21%) were infected with haemosporidians based on molecular diagnostics. Partial sequences of the parasite cytochrome b gene revealed 18 differentiated avian haemosporidian lineages. We also analysed the relationship of life-history traits (i.e., nesting height, migration status, nest type,... (More)
Studies on avian haemosporidia are on the rise, but we still lack a basic understanding of how ecological and evolutionary factors mold the distributions of haemosporidia among species in the same bird community. We studied the structure and organization of a local avian haemosporidian assemblage (genera Plasmodium and Haemoproteus) in the Cerrado biome of Central Brazil for 5 years. We obtained 790 blood samples from 54 bird species of which 166 (21%) were infected with haemosporidians based on molecular diagnostics. Partial sequences of the parasite cytochrome b gene revealed 18 differentiated avian haemosporidian lineages. We also analysed the relationship of life-history traits (i.e., nesting height, migration status, nest type, sociality, body mass, and embryo development period) of the 14 most abundant bird species with
the prevalence of avian haemosporidia. It was found that host species that bred socially presented a higher prevalence of Haemoproteus (Parahaemoproteus) than bird species that bred in pairs. Thus, aspects of host behaviour could be responsible for differential exposure to vectors. The assemblage of avian haemosporidia studied here also confirms a pattern that is emerging in recent studies using molecular markers to identify avian haemosporidians, namely that many lineages are host generalists. (Less)
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author
; ; ; and
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
in
Parasitology
volume
140
issue
02
pages
12 pages
publisher
Cambridge University Press
external identifiers
  • scopus:84873375921
ISSN
1469-8161
DOI
10.1017/S0031182012001412
language
English
LU publication?
no
id
c9161402-12bb-487e-bbc0-4d7c416b1a32
date added to LUP
2017-05-09 15:02:58
date last changed
2022-03-01 21:44:07
@article{c9161402-12bb-487e-bbc0-4d7c416b1a32,
  abstract     = {{Studies on avian haemosporidia are on the rise, but we still lack a basic understanding of how ecological and evolutionary factors mold the distributions of haemosporidia among species in the same bird community. We studied the structure and organization of a local avian haemosporidian assemblage (genera Plasmodium and Haemoproteus) in the Cerrado biome of Central Brazil for 5 years. We obtained 790 blood samples from 54 bird species of which 166 (21%) were infected with haemosporidians based on molecular diagnostics. Partial sequences of the parasite cytochrome b gene revealed 18 differentiated avian haemosporidian lineages. We also analysed the relationship of life-history traits (i.e., nesting height, migration status, nest type, sociality, body mass, and embryo development period) of the 14 most abundant bird species with<br/>the prevalence of avian haemosporidia. It was found that host species that bred socially presented a higher prevalence of Haemoproteus (Parahaemoproteus) than bird species that bred in pairs. Thus, aspects of host behaviour could be responsible for differential exposure to vectors. The assemblage of avian haemosporidia studied here also confirms a pattern that is emerging in recent studies using molecular markers to identify avian haemosporidians, namely that many lineages are host generalists.}},
  author       = {{Fecchio, Alan and Lima, Marcos Robalinho and Svensson-Coelho, Maria and Marini, Miguel Ângelo and Ricklefs, Robert E}},
  issn         = {{1469-8161}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{02}},
  pages        = {{181--192}},
  publisher    = {{Cambridge University Press}},
  series       = {{Parasitology}},
  title        = {{Structure and organization of an avian haemosporidian assemblage in a Neotropical savanna in Brazil}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/S0031182012001412}},
  doi          = {{10.1017/S0031182012001412}},
  volume       = {{140}},
  year         = {{2013}},
}