Document Type

Article

Publication Date

12-2008

Publication Title

Conservation Genetics

Publisher

Springer

Volume

9

Issue

6

First page number:

1577

Last page number:

1588

Abstract

Our current understanding of migration routes of many birds is limited and researchers have employed various methods to determine migratory patterns. Recently, parasites have been used to track migratory birds. The objective of this study was to determine whether haemosporidian parasite lineages detect significant geographic structure in common yellowthroats (Geothlypis trichas). We examined liver tissue or blood from 552 birds sampled from multiple locations throughout the continental United States, southern Canada, and the Bahamas. We found a 52.7% overall prevalence of haematozoan infection. We identified 86.1% of these infections to genus: 81% were Plasmodium; 5% were Haemoproteus; and 0.1% were Leucocytozoon. There were significant differences in the prevalence of different parasite genera among regions (χ2 = 36.82, P < 0.0001) and in the proportion of Plasmodium infections versus other parasites among regions (χ2 = 35.52, P < 0.0001). Sequence information identified three Haemoproteus lineages, two Leucocytozoon lineages, and thirteen Plasmodium lineages. Due to the low number of Haemoproteus and Leucocytozoon, only Plasmodium lineages were used in the geographic comparison of lineages. Six Plasmodium lineages were found in eight or more birds and the prevalence of these varied significantly among regions (χ2 = 172.33, P < 0.0001). Additionally, 45 juvenile birds were sampled to determine what parasites could be obtained in the breeding grounds and we found only one lineage. In conclusion, parasite lineages show some geographic structure, with some lineages being more geographically specific than others, but are not useful for determining migratory connectivity in this species.

Keywords

Common yellowthroat; Geothlypis; Migratory birds; Phylogeny

Controlled Subject

Bird populations--Research; Migratory birds; Molecular genetics; Phylogeography

Disciplines

Molecular Genetics | Ornithology | Population Biology

File Format

pdf

File Size

426 KB

Language

English

Permissions

© US Government 2008

Rights

IN COPYRIGHT. For more information about this rights statement, please visit http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/

Download

UNLV article access

Search your library

Share

COinS