Little is known about the causes and consequences of alternative pathways flown by long‐distance ... more Little is known about the causes and consequences of alternative pathways flown by long‐distance migratory birds. Bobolinks (Dolichonyx oryzivorus) breed in grasslands across northern North America and migrate from their breeding grounds toward the eastern Atlantic Coast and then proceed through the Caribbean to South America. However, a small but regular number of Bobolinks have been recorded on the Galapagos Islands. We collected genetic samples from nine Galapagos Bobolinks and performed double‐digest restriction site‐associated sequencing. We compared them with samples from seven locations across their breeding distribution to determine their population of origin. Galapagos Bobolinks shared the genetic structure of a cluster in the eastern portion of the breeding range that includes New Brunswick and Ontario, Canada, and Vermont, United States. Genetic assignment tests largely corroborated this finding, although slightly different results were obtained for the two methods. All i...
This Checklist of Galapagos Lice includes a total of all 112 taxa reported from the Galapagos Isl... more This Checklist of Galapagos Lice includes a total of all 112 taxa reported from the Galapagos Islands. For each name, detailed information is provided: its Galapagos distribution in islands groups or bioregions generated from the specimen records, comments about the taxonomy (especially synonyms), the origin (native and introduced), taxon status (accepted vs. rejected records) and relevant literature references.
The avifauna endemic to islands is particularly susceptible to population declines and extinction... more The avifauna endemic to islands is particularly susceptible to population declines and extinctions resulting from the introduction of non-native pathogens. Three pathogens of concern are the avian malaria parasites, the avian poxviruses, and West Nile virus—each of which can be transmitted by Culex quinquefasciatus, a highly adaptive and invasive mosquito. Culex quinquefasciatus has dramatically expanded its range in recent centuries and is now established throughout much of the tropics and sub-tropics, including on many islands that are remote from mainland landmasses and where this geographic separation historically protected island species from mosquito-borne diseases. The potential for ecological disruption by Cx. quinquefasciatus has been particularly striking in the Hawaiian Islands, where the introduction and transmission of avian malaria and avian poxvirus led to the extinction of several endemic bird species, with many more at risk. With Cx. quinquefasciatus now present in ...
The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is a very powerful method to detect and identify pathogens. T... more The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is a very powerful method to detect and identify pathogens. The high sensitivity of the method, however, comes with a cost; any of the millions of artificial DNA copies generated by PCR can serve as a template in a following experiment. If not identified as contaminations, these may result in erroneous conclusions on the occurrence of the pathogen, thereby inflating estimates of host range and geographic distribution. In the present paper, we evaluate whether several published records of avian haemosporidian parasites, in either unusual host species or geographical regions, might stem from PCR contaminations rather than novel biological findings. The detailed descriptions of these cases are shedding light upon the steps in the work process that might lead to PCR contaminations. By increasing the awareness of this problem, it will aid in developing procedures that keep these to a minimum. The examples in the present paper are from haemosporidians o...
BackgroundBlood meal host selection by mosquito vectors is an important component in understandin... more BackgroundBlood meal host selection by mosquito vectors is an important component in understanding disease dynamics of pathogens that threaten endemic fauna in isolated islands such as Galápagos. Research on the feeding behavior of mosquitoes can provide clues to the hosts and vectors involved in disease transmission. This information is particularly critical for endemic wildlife fauna in island systems that have evolved without resistance to novel diseases such as avian malaria. The aims of this study were to determine the blood-feeding patterns of two species of mosquitoes found in Galápagos and discuss how their feeding behavior may influence the transmission of pathogens such as avian malaria.MethodsIn the summer of 2015, we sampled two mosquito species (Aedes taeniorhynchusandCulex quinquefasciatus) across 18 different sites on Isla Santa Cruz, which is the second largest island in Galápagos and has the largest human population. We trapped mosquitoes using CDC light traps and C...
The establishment of baseline data on parasites from wild primates is essential to understand how... more The establishment of baseline data on parasites from wild primates is essential to understand how changes in habitat or climatic disturbances will impact parasite–host relationships. In nature, multiparasitic infections of primates usually fluctuate temporally and seasonally, implying that the acquisition of reliable data must occur over time. Individual parasite infection data from two wild populations of New World primates, the saddleback (Leontocebus weddelli) and emperor (Saguinus imperator) tamarin, were collected over 3 years to establish baseline levels of helminth prevalence and parasite species richness (PSR). Secondarily, we explored variation in parasite prevalence across age and sex classes, test nonrandom associations of parasite co‐occurrence, and assess the relationship between group size and PSR. From 288 fecal samples across 105 individuals (71 saddleback and 34 emperor tamarins), 10 parasite taxa were identified by light microscopy following centrifugation and ethy...
Background Penguins (Sphenisciformes) are a remarkable order of flightless wing-propelled diving ... more Background Penguins (Sphenisciformes) are a remarkable order of flightless wing-propelled diving seabirds distributed widely across the southern hemisphere. They share a volant common ancestor with Procellariiformes close to the Cretaceous-Paleogene boundary (66 million years ago) and subsequently lost the ability to fly but enhanced their diving capabilities. With ∼20 species among 6 genera, penguins range from the tropical Galápagos Islands to the oceanic temperate forests of New Zealand, the rocky coastlines of the sub-Antarctic islands, and the sea ice around Antarctica. To inhabit such diverse and extreme environments, penguins evolved many physiological and morphological adaptations. However, they are also highly sensitive to climate change. Therefore, penguins provide an exciting target system for understanding the evolutionary processes of speciation, adaptation, and demography. Genomic data are an emerging resource for addressing questions about such processes. Results Here...
Little is known about the causes and consequences of alternative pathways flown by long‐distance ... more Little is known about the causes and consequences of alternative pathways flown by long‐distance migratory birds. Bobolinks (Dolichonyx oryzivorus) breed in grasslands across northern North America and migrate from their breeding grounds toward the eastern Atlantic Coast and then proceed through the Caribbean to South America. However, a small but regular number of Bobolinks have been recorded on the Galapagos Islands. We collected genetic samples from nine Galapagos Bobolinks and performed double‐digest restriction site‐associated sequencing. We compared them with samples from seven locations across their breeding distribution to determine their population of origin. Galapagos Bobolinks shared the genetic structure of a cluster in the eastern portion of the breeding range that includes New Brunswick and Ontario, Canada, and Vermont, United States. Genetic assignment tests largely corroborated this finding, although slightly different results were obtained for the two methods. All i...
This Checklist of Galapagos Lice includes a total of all 112 taxa reported from the Galapagos Isl... more This Checklist of Galapagos Lice includes a total of all 112 taxa reported from the Galapagos Islands. For each name, detailed information is provided: its Galapagos distribution in islands groups or bioregions generated from the specimen records, comments about the taxonomy (especially synonyms), the origin (native and introduced), taxon status (accepted vs. rejected records) and relevant literature references.
The avifauna endemic to islands is particularly susceptible to population declines and extinction... more The avifauna endemic to islands is particularly susceptible to population declines and extinctions resulting from the introduction of non-native pathogens. Three pathogens of concern are the avian malaria parasites, the avian poxviruses, and West Nile virus—each of which can be transmitted by Culex quinquefasciatus, a highly adaptive and invasive mosquito. Culex quinquefasciatus has dramatically expanded its range in recent centuries and is now established throughout much of the tropics and sub-tropics, including on many islands that are remote from mainland landmasses and where this geographic separation historically protected island species from mosquito-borne diseases. The potential for ecological disruption by Cx. quinquefasciatus has been particularly striking in the Hawaiian Islands, where the introduction and transmission of avian malaria and avian poxvirus led to the extinction of several endemic bird species, with many more at risk. With Cx. quinquefasciatus now present in ...
The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is a very powerful method to detect and identify pathogens. T... more The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is a very powerful method to detect and identify pathogens. The high sensitivity of the method, however, comes with a cost; any of the millions of artificial DNA copies generated by PCR can serve as a template in a following experiment. If not identified as contaminations, these may result in erroneous conclusions on the occurrence of the pathogen, thereby inflating estimates of host range and geographic distribution. In the present paper, we evaluate whether several published records of avian haemosporidian parasites, in either unusual host species or geographical regions, might stem from PCR contaminations rather than novel biological findings. The detailed descriptions of these cases are shedding light upon the steps in the work process that might lead to PCR contaminations. By increasing the awareness of this problem, it will aid in developing procedures that keep these to a minimum. The examples in the present paper are from haemosporidians o...
BackgroundBlood meal host selection by mosquito vectors is an important component in understandin... more BackgroundBlood meal host selection by mosquito vectors is an important component in understanding disease dynamics of pathogens that threaten endemic fauna in isolated islands such as Galápagos. Research on the feeding behavior of mosquitoes can provide clues to the hosts and vectors involved in disease transmission. This information is particularly critical for endemic wildlife fauna in island systems that have evolved without resistance to novel diseases such as avian malaria. The aims of this study were to determine the blood-feeding patterns of two species of mosquitoes found in Galápagos and discuss how their feeding behavior may influence the transmission of pathogens such as avian malaria.MethodsIn the summer of 2015, we sampled two mosquito species (Aedes taeniorhynchusandCulex quinquefasciatus) across 18 different sites on Isla Santa Cruz, which is the second largest island in Galápagos and has the largest human population. We trapped mosquitoes using CDC light traps and C...
The establishment of baseline data on parasites from wild primates is essential to understand how... more The establishment of baseline data on parasites from wild primates is essential to understand how changes in habitat or climatic disturbances will impact parasite–host relationships. In nature, multiparasitic infections of primates usually fluctuate temporally and seasonally, implying that the acquisition of reliable data must occur over time. Individual parasite infection data from two wild populations of New World primates, the saddleback (Leontocebus weddelli) and emperor (Saguinus imperator) tamarin, were collected over 3 years to establish baseline levels of helminth prevalence and parasite species richness (PSR). Secondarily, we explored variation in parasite prevalence across age and sex classes, test nonrandom associations of parasite co‐occurrence, and assess the relationship between group size and PSR. From 288 fecal samples across 105 individuals (71 saddleback and 34 emperor tamarins), 10 parasite taxa were identified by light microscopy following centrifugation and ethy...
Background Penguins (Sphenisciformes) are a remarkable order of flightless wing-propelled diving ... more Background Penguins (Sphenisciformes) are a remarkable order of flightless wing-propelled diving seabirds distributed widely across the southern hemisphere. They share a volant common ancestor with Procellariiformes close to the Cretaceous-Paleogene boundary (66 million years ago) and subsequently lost the ability to fly but enhanced their diving capabilities. With ∼20 species among 6 genera, penguins range from the tropical Galápagos Islands to the oceanic temperate forests of New Zealand, the rocky coastlines of the sub-Antarctic islands, and the sea ice around Antarctica. To inhabit such diverse and extreme environments, penguins evolved many physiological and morphological adaptations. However, they are also highly sensitive to climate change. Therefore, penguins provide an exciting target system for understanding the evolutionary processes of speciation, adaptation, and demography. Genomic data are an emerging resource for addressing questions about such processes. Results Here...
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