Haemosporidian Parasite Community In Migrating Bobolinks On The Galapagos Islands, Patricia Parker, Noah G. Perlut, Rosalind B. Renfrew, Maricruz Jaramillo
Jul 2018
Haemosporidian Parasite Community In Migrating Bobolinks On The Galapagos Islands, Patricia Parker, Noah G. Perlut, Rosalind B. Renfrew, Maricruz Jaramillo
Patricia Parker
Bobolinks (Dolichonyx oryzivorus) migrate from their breeding grounds in North America to their wintering grounds in South America during the fall each year. A small number of Bobolinks stop temporarily in Galapagos, and potentially carry parasites. On the North American breeding grounds, Bobolinks carry a least two of the four Plasmodium lineages recently detected in resident Galapagos birds. We hypothesized that Bobolinks carried these parasites to Galapagos, where they were bitten by mosquitoes that then transmitted the parasites to resident birds. The haemosporidian parasite community in 44% of the Bobolinks we captured was consistent with those on their breeding grounds. …
Mode And Rate Of Evolution Of Haemosporidian Mitochondrial Genomes: Timing The Radiation Of Avian Parasites, Patricia Parker, M Andreína Pacheco, Nubia E. Matta, Gediminas Valkiūnas, Beatriz Mello, Craig E. Stanley Jr, Miguel Lentino, Maria Alexandra Garcia-Amado, Michael Cranfield, Sergei L Kosakovsky Pond, Ananias A. Escalante
Jan 2018
Mode And Rate Of Evolution Of Haemosporidian Mitochondrial Genomes: Timing The Radiation Of Avian Parasites, Patricia Parker, M Andreína Pacheco, Nubia E. Matta, Gediminas Valkiūnas, Beatriz Mello, Craig E. Stanley Jr, Miguel Lentino, Maria Alexandra Garcia-Amado, Michael Cranfield, Sergei L Kosakovsky Pond, Ananias A. Escalante
Patricia Parker
Haemosporidians are a diverse group of vector-borne parasitic protozoa that includes the agents of human malaria; however, most of the described species are found in birds and reptiles. Although our understanding of these parasites’ diversity has expanded by analyses of their mitochondrial genes, there is limited information on these genes’ evolutionary rates. Here, 114 mitochondrial genomes (mtDNA) were studied from species belonging to four genera: Leucocytozoon, Haemoproteus, Hepatocystis, and Plasmodium. Contrary to previous assertions, the mtDNA is phylogenetically informative. The inferred phylogeny showed that, like the genus Plasmodium, the Leucocytozoon and Haemoproteus genera are not monophyletic groups. Although sensitive to …
Landscape Genomics: Natural Selection Drives The Evolution Of Mitogenome In Penguins, Barbara Ramos, Daniel González-Acuña, David E. Loyola, Warren E. Johnson, Patricia G. Parker, Melanie Massaro, Gisele P. M. Dantas, Marcelo D. Miranda, Juliana A. Vianna
Jan 2018
Landscape Genomics: Natural Selection Drives The Evolution Of Mitogenome In Penguins, Barbara Ramos, Daniel González-Acuña, David E. Loyola, Warren E. Johnson, Patricia G. Parker, Melanie Massaro, Gisele P. M. Dantas, Marcelo D. Miranda, Juliana A. Vianna
Patricia Parker
Background
Mitochondria play a key role in the balance of energy and heat production, and therefore the mitochondrial genome is under natural selection by environmental temperature and food availability, since starvation can generate more efficient coupling of energy production. However, selection over mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) genes has usually been evaluated at the population level. We sequenced by NGS 12 mitogenomes and with four published genomes, assessed genetic variation in ten penguin species distributed from the equator to Antarctica. Signatures of selection of 13 mitochondrial protein-coding genes were evaluated by comparing among species within and among genera (Spheniscus, Pygoscelis, Eudyptula, Eudyptes …
Chronic Plasmodium Brasilianum Infections In Wild Peruvian Tamarins, Gideon A. Erkenswick, Mrinalini Watsa, M. Andreína Pacheco, Ananias A. Escalante, Patricia G. Parker, Georges Snounou
Sep 2017
Chronic Plasmodium Brasilianum Infections In Wild Peruvian Tamarins, Gideon A. Erkenswick, Mrinalini Watsa, M. Andreína Pacheco, Ananias A. Escalante, Patricia G. Parker, Georges Snounou
Patricia Parker
There is an increased interest in potential zoonotic malarias. To date, Plasmodium malariae that infects humans remains indistinguishable from Plasmodium brasilianum, which is widespread among New World primates. Distributed throughout tropical Central and South America, the Callitrichidae are small arboreal primates in which detection of natural Plasmodium infection has been extremely rare. Most prior screening efforts have been limited to small samples, the use of low-probability detection methods, or both. Rarely have screening efforts implemented a longitudinal sampling design. Through an annual mark-recapture program of two sympatric callitrichids, the emperor (Saguinus imperator) and saddleback (Saguinus fuscicollis) tamarins, whole blood samples …
A Genetic Signature Of The Evolution Of Loss Of Flight In The Galapagos Cormorant, Patricia Parker, Alejandro Burga, Weiguang Wang, Eyal Ben-David, Paul C. Wolf, Andrew M. Ramey, Claudio Verdugo, Karen Lyons, Leonid Kruglyak
Jun 2017
A Genetic Signature Of The Evolution Of Loss Of Flight In The Galapagos Cormorant, Patricia Parker, Alejandro Burga, Weiguang Wang, Eyal Ben-David, Paul C. Wolf, Andrew M. Ramey, Claudio Verdugo, Karen Lyons, Leonid Kruglyak
Patricia Parker
We have a limited understanding of the genetic and molecular basis of evolutionary changes in the size and proportion of limbs. We studied wing and pectoral skeleton reduction leading to flightlessness in the Galapagos cormorant (Phalacrocorax harrisi). We sequenced and de novo assembled the genomes of four cormorant species and applied a predictive and comparative genomics approach to find candidate variants that may have contributed to the evolution of flightlessness. These analyses and cross-species experiments in Caenorhabditis elegans and in chondrogenic cell lines implicated variants in genes necessary for transcriptional regulation and function of the primary cilium. Cilia are essential …
From Galapagos Doves To Passerines: Spillover Of Haemoproteus Multipigmentatus, Maricruz Jaramillo, Sage Rohrer, Patricia G. Parker
Jan 2017
From Galapagos Doves To Passerines: Spillover Of Haemoproteus Multipigmentatus, Maricruz Jaramillo, Sage Rohrer, Patricia G. Parker
Patricia Parker
Haemoproteus (Haemoproteus) multipigmentatus, a haemosporidian parasite thought to be specific to columbiform birds, was detected in passeriform birds on Santiago Island in the Galapagos archipelago. We surveyed birds along an altitudinal gradient on the islands of Santa Cruz, Isabela and Santiago between June 2013 and July 2015. Molecular screening of 2254 individuals from 25 species of endemic and introduced birds revealed clusters of passerine birds positive for H. multipigmentatus on Santiago Island that coincide with captures of Galapagos doves at sampled sites. Of 507 individuals from 10 species of endemic passerines sampled on Santiago, 58 individuals from 6 species were …
Temporal And Demographic Blood Parasite Dynamics In Two Free-Ranging Neotropical Primates, Gideon A. Erkenswick, Mrinalini Watsa, Alfonso S. Gozalo, Nicole Dmytryk, Patricia G. Parker
Jan 2017
Temporal And Demographic Blood Parasite Dynamics In Two Free-Ranging Neotropical Primates, Gideon A. Erkenswick, Mrinalini Watsa, Alfonso S. Gozalo, Nicole Dmytryk, Patricia G. Parker
Patricia Parker
Parasite-host relationships are influenced by several factors intrinsic to hosts, such as social standing, group membership, sex, and age. However, in wild populations, temporal variation in parasite distributions and concomitant infections can alter these patterns. We used microscropy and molecular methods to screen for naturally occurring haemoparasitic infections in two Neotropical primate host populations, the saddleback (Leontocebus weddelli) and emperor (Saguinus imperator) tamarin, in the lowland tropical rainforests of southeastern Peru. Repeat sampling was conducted from known individuals over a three-year period to test for parasite-host and parasite-parasite associations. Three parasites were detected in L. weddelli including Trypanosoma minasense, Mansonella …
Host Sympatry And Body Size Influence Parasite Straggling Rate In A Highly Connected Multihost, Multiparasite System, Jose L. Rivera-Parra, Iris I. Levin, Kevin P. Johnson, Patricia G. Parker
Jan 2017
Host Sympatry And Body Size Influence Parasite Straggling Rate In A Highly Connected Multihost, Multiparasite System, Jose L. Rivera-Parra, Iris I. Levin, Kevin P. Johnson, Patricia G. Parker
Patricia Parker
Parasite lineages commonly diverge when host lineages diverge. However, when large clades of hosts and parasites are analyzed, some cases suggest host switching as another major diversification mechanism. The first step in host switching is the appearance of a parasite on an atypical host, or “straggling.” We analyze the conditions associated with straggling events. We use five species of colonially nesting seabirds from the Galapagos Archipelago and two genera of highly specific ectoparasitic lice to examine host switching. We use both genetic and morphological identification of lice, together with measurements of spatial distribution of hosts in mixed breeding colonies, to …
Local Parasite Lineage Sharing In Temperate Grassland Birds Provides Clues About Potential Origins Of Galapagos Avian Plasmodium, Patricia Parker, Iris I. Levin, Rachel E. Colborn, Daniel Kim, Noah G. Perlut, Rosalind B. Renfrew
Jan 2016
Local Parasite Lineage Sharing In Temperate Grassland Birds Provides Clues About Potential Origins Of Galapagos Avian Plasmodium, Patricia Parker, Iris I. Levin, Rachel E. Colborn, Daniel Kim, Noah G. Perlut, Rosalind B. Renfrew
Patricia Parker
Oceanic archipelagos are vulnerable to natural introduction of parasites via migratory birds. Our aim was to characterize the geographic origins of two Plasmodium parasite lineages detected in the Galapagos Islands and in North American breeding bobolinks (Dolichonyx oryzivorus) that regularly stop in Galapagos during migration to their South American overwintering sites. We used samples from a grassland breeding bird assemblage in Nebraska, United States, and parasite DNA sequences from the Galapagos Islands, Ecuador, to compare to global data in a DNA sequence registry. Homologous DNA sequences from parasites detected in bobolinks and more sedentary birds (e.g., brown‐headed cowbirds Molothrus ater, …
Lineage Sorting In Multihost Parasites: Eidmanniella Albescens And Fregatiella Aurifasciata On Seabirds From The Galapagos Islands, Jose L. Rivera-Parra, Iris I. Levin, Kevin P. Johnson, Patricia G. Parker
Jan 2015
Lineage Sorting In Multihost Parasites: Eidmanniella Albescens And Fregatiella Aurifasciata On Seabirds From The Galapagos Islands, Jose L. Rivera-Parra, Iris I. Levin, Kevin P. Johnson, Patricia G. Parker
Patricia Parker
Parasites comprise a significant percentage of the biodiversity of the planet and are useful systems to test evolutionary and ecological hypotheses. In this study, we analyze the effect of host species identity and the immediate local species assemblage within mixed species colonies of nesting seabirds on patterns of genetic clustering within two species of multihost ectoparasitic lice. We use three genetic markers (one mitochondrial, COI, and two nuclear, EF1‐α and wingless) and maximum likelihood phylogenetic trees to test whether (1) parasites show lineage sorting based on their host species; and (2) switching of lineages to the alternate host species depends …
Different Meal, Same Flavor: Cospeciation And Host Switching Of Haemosporidian Parasites In Some Non-Passerine Birds, Diego Santiago-Alarcon, Adriana Rodríguez-Ferraro, Patricia G. Parker, Robert E. Ricklefs
Dec 2013
Different Meal, Same Flavor: Cospeciation And Host Switching Of Haemosporidian Parasites In Some Non-Passerine Birds, Diego Santiago-Alarcon, Adriana Rodríguez-Ferraro, Patricia G. Parker, Robert E. Ricklefs
Patricia Parker
Background
Previous studies have shown that haemosporidian parasites (Haemoproteus (Parahaemoproteus) and Plasmodium) infecting passerine birds have an evolutionary history of host switching with little cospeciation, in particular at low taxonomic levels (e.g., below the family level), which is suggested as the main speciation mechanism of this group of parasites. Recent studies have characterized diverse clades of haemosporidian parasites (H. (Haemoproteus) and H. (Parahaemoproteus)) infecting non-passerine birds (e.g., Columbiformes, Pelecaniiformes). Here, we explore the cospeciation history of H. (Haemoproteus) and H. (Parahaemoproteus) parasites with their non-passerine hosts.
Methods
We sequenced the mtDNA cyt b gene of both haemosporidian parasites and their …
Philopatry Drives Genetic Differentiation In An Island Archipelago: Comparative Population Genetics Of Galapagos Nazca Boobies (Sula Granti) And Great Frigatebirds (Fregata Minor), Iris I. Levin, Patricia G. Parker
Jan 2012
Philopatry Drives Genetic Differentiation In An Island Archipelago: Comparative Population Genetics Of Galapagos Nazca Boobies (Sula Granti) And Great Frigatebirds (Fregata Minor), Iris I. Levin, Patricia G. Parker
Patricia Parker
Seabirds are considered highly mobile, able to fly great distances with few apparent barriers to dispersal. However, it is often the case that seabird populations exhibit strong population genetic structure despite their potential vagility. Here we show that Galapagos Nazca booby (Sula granti) populations are substantially differentiated, even within the small geographic scale of this archipelago. On the other hand, Galapagos great frigatebird (Fregata minor) populations do not show any genetic structure. We characterized the genetic differentiation by sampling five colonies of both species in the Galapagos archipelago and analyzing eight microsatellite loci and three mitochondrial genes. Using an F‐statistic …
110 Years Of Avipoxvirus In The Galapagos Islands, Patricia G. Parker, Elizabeth L. Buckles, Heather L. Farrington, Kenneth Petren, Noah K. Whiteman, Robert E. Ricklefs, Jennifer L. Bollmer, Gustavo Jiménez-Uzcátegui
Jan 2011
110 Years Of Avipoxvirus In The Galapagos Islands, Patricia G. Parker, Elizabeth L. Buckles, Heather L. Farrington, Kenneth Petren, Noah K. Whiteman, Robert E. Ricklefs, Jennifer L. Bollmer, Gustavo Jiménez-Uzcátegui
Patricia Parker
The role of disease in regulating populations is controversial, partly owing to the absence of good disease records in historic wildlife populations. We examined birds collected in the Galapagos Islands between 1891 and 1906 that are currently held at the California Academy of Sciences and the Zoologisches Staatssammlung Muenchen, including 3973 specimens representing species from two well-studied families of endemic passerine birds: finches and mockingbirds. Beginning with samples collected in 1899, we observed cutaneous lesions consistent with Avipoxvirus on 226 (6.3%) specimens. Histopathology and viral genotyping of 59 candidate tissue samples from six islands showed that 21 (35.6%) were positive …
Reduced Mhc And Neutral Variation In The Galápagos Hawk, An Island Endemic, Jennifer L. Bollmer, Joshua M. Hull, Holly B. Ernest, José H. Sarasola, Patricia G. Parker
Jan 2011
Reduced Mhc And Neutral Variation In The Galápagos Hawk, An Island Endemic, Jennifer L. Bollmer, Joshua M. Hull, Holly B. Ernest, José H. Sarasola, Patricia G. Parker
Patricia Parker
Background
Genes at the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) are known for high levels of polymorphism maintained by balancing selection. In small or bottlenecked populations, however, genetic drift may be strong enough to overwhelm the effect of balancing selection, resulting in reduced MHC variability. In this study we investigated MHC evolution in two recently diverged bird species: the endemic Galápagos hawk (Buteo galapagoensis), which occurs in small, isolated island populations, and its widespread mainland relative, the Swainson's hawk (B. swainsoni).
Results
We amplified at least two MHC class II B gene copies in each species. We recovered only three different sequences …
Natal Dispersal And Sociality Of Young Galapagos Hawks On Santiago Island, Patricia Parker, Jose Luis Rivera-Parra, F H. Vargas
Dec 2010
Natal Dispersal And Sociality Of Young Galapagos Hawks On Santiago Island, Patricia Parker, Jose Luis Rivera-Parra, F H. Vargas
Patricia Parker
The Galapagos Hawk (Buteo galapagoensis) is the only diurnal resident raptor in the Galapagos Archipelago, where it exhibits a cooperatively polyandrous mating system. Before breeding, young hawks spend 3-4 years as nonterritorial floaters. Individuals in this age class are highly gregarious on the island of Santiago. Here we examine patterns in natal dispersal and ask whether they appear to develop social affiliations with particular individuals during their juvenile years. Using data collected between 1998 and 2009 from a banded population of 25 territorial groups, we found that natal dispersal is more likely to be to territories adjacent to natal territories …
Long-Term Isolation Of A Highly Mobile Seabird On The Galapagos, Patricia Parker, Frank Hailer, E.A. Schreiber, Joshua M. Miller, Iris I. Levin, R. Terry Chesser, Robert C. Fleischer
Sep 2010
Long-Term Isolation Of A Highly Mobile Seabird On The Galapagos, Patricia Parker, Frank Hailer, E.A. Schreiber, Joshua M. Miller, Iris I. Levin, R. Terry Chesser, Robert C. Fleischer
Patricia Parker
The Galapagos Islands are renowned for their high degree of endemism. Marine taxa inhabiting the archipelago might be expected to be an exception, because of their utilization of pelagic habitats—the dispersal barrier for terrestrial taxa—as foraging grounds. Magnificent frigatebirds (Fregata magnificens) have a highly vagile lifestyle and wide geographical distribution around the South and Central American coasts. Given the potentially high levels of gene flow among populations, the species provides a good test of the effectiveness of the Galapagos ecosystem in isolating populations of highly dispersive marine species. We studied patterns of genetic (mitochondrial DNA, microsatellites and nuclear introns) and …
Causes Of Mortality Of Wild Birds Submitted To The Charles Darwin Research Station, Santa Cruz, Galápagos, Ecuador From 2002-2004, Patricia Parker, Nicole L. Gottdenker, Timothy Walsh, Gustavo Jiménez-Uzcátegui, Franklin Betancourt, Marilyn Cruz, Catherine Soos, R. Eric Miller
Sep 2008
Causes Of Mortality Of Wild Birds Submitted To The Charles Darwin Research Station, Santa Cruz, Galápagos, Ecuador From 2002-2004, Patricia Parker, Nicole L. Gottdenker, Timothy Walsh, Gustavo Jiménez-Uzcátegui, Franklin Betancourt, Marilyn Cruz, Catherine Soos, R. Eric Miller
Patricia Parker
Necropsy findings were reviewed from wild birds submitted to the Charles Darwin Research Station, Santa Cruz Island, Galápagos Archipelago between 2004 and 2006. One hundred and ninety cases from 27 different species were submitted, and 178 of these cases were evaluated grossly or histologically. Trauma and trauma-related deaths (n=141) dominated necropsy submissions. Infectious causes of avian mortality included myiasis due to Philornis sp. (n=6), avian pox (n=1), and schistosomosis (n=1).
Conservation Medicine On The Galápagos Islands: Partnerships Among Behavioral, Population, And Veterinary Scientists, Patricia G. Parker, Noah Kerness Whiteman, R. Eric Miller
Dec 2005
Conservation Medicine On The Galápagos Islands: Partnerships Among Behavioral, Population, And Veterinary Scientists, Patricia G. Parker, Noah Kerness Whiteman, R. Eric Miller
Patricia Parker
No abstract provided.
