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University of Nebraska - Lincoln

Harold W. Manter Laboratory: Library Materials

Birds

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Full-Text Articles in Life Sciences

How Birds Combat Ectoparasites, Dale H. Clayton, Jennifer A. H. Koop, Christopher W. Harbison, Brett R. Moyer, Sarah E. Bush Jan 2010

How Birds Combat Ectoparasites, Dale H. Clayton, Jennifer A. H. Koop, Christopher W. Harbison, Brett R. Moyer, Sarah E. Bush

Harold W. Manter Laboratory: Library Materials

Birds are plagued by an impressive diversity of ectoparasites, ranging from feather-feeding lice, to feather-degrading bacteria. Many of these ectoparasites have severe negative effects on host fitness. It is therefore not surprising that selection on birds has favored a variety of possible adaptations for dealing with ectoparasites. The functional significance of some of these defenses has been well documented. Others have barely been studied, much less tested rigorously. In this article we review the evidence--or lack thereof--for many of the purported mechanisms birds have for dealing with ectoparasites. We concentrate on features of the plumage and its components, as well …


Mallophaga From Apteryx, And Their Significance, With A Note On The Genus Rallicola, Launcelot Harrison Jun 1915

Mallophaga From Apteryx, And Their Significance, With A Note On The Genus Rallicola, Launcelot Harrison

Harold W. Manter Laboratory: Library Materials

Regards the skins of five species of Apteryx in the collection at the Cambridge University Museum in England. From these were collected three species of Mallophaga belonging to the genus Rallicola. These are described with discussion about the significance of this occurrence upon Apteryx, from which no Mallophaga have previously been recorded.