| Isotope signatures in winter moulted feathers predict malaria prevalence in a breeding avian host. | |
| | |
MedLine Citation:
|
PMID: 18810501 Owner: NLM Status: MEDLINE |
Abstract/OtherAbstract:
|
It is widely accepted that animal distribution and migration strategy might have co-evolved in relation to selection pressures exerted by parasites. Here, we first determined the prevalence and types of malaria blood parasites in a breeding population of great reed warblers Acrocephalus arundinaceus using PCR. Secondly, we tested for differences in individual feather stable isotope signatures (delta (13)C, delta (15)N, deltaD and delta (34)S) to investigate whether malaria infected and non-infected birds had occupied different areas in winter. We show that birds moulting in Afro-tropical habitats with significantly higher delta (13)C and delta (15)N but lower deltaD and delta(34)S values were more frequently infected with malaria parasites. Based on established patterns of isotopic distributions, our results indicate that moulting sites with higher incidence of malaria are generally drier and situated further to the north in West Africa than sites with lower incidence of malaria. Our findings are pertinent to the general hypothesis that animal distribution and particularly avian migration strategy might evolve in response to selection pressures exerted by parasites at different geographic scales. Tradeoffs between investment in energy demanding life history traits (e.g. migration and winter moult) and immune function are suggested to contribute to the particular choice of habitat during migration and at wintering sites. |
| | |
Authors:
|
Elizabeth Yohannes; Bengt Hansson; Raymond W Lee; Jonas Waldenström; Helena Westerdahl; Mikael Akesson; Dennis Hasselquist; Staffan Bensch |
Publication Detail:
|
Type: Journal Article; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't; Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S. Date: 2008-09-23 |
Journal Detail:
|
Title: Oecologia Volume: 158 ISSN: 0029-8549 ISO Abbreviation: Oecologia Publication Date: 2008 Nov |
Date Detail:
|
Created Date: 2008-10-22 Completed Date: 2009-03-12 Revised Date: - |
Medline Journal Info:
|
Nlm Unique ID: 0150372 Medline TA: Oecologia Country: Germany |
Other Details:
|
Languages: eng Pagination: 299-306 Citation Subset: IM |
Affiliation:
|
Behavioural Ecology and Evolutionary Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, P.O. Box 1564, 82305, Starnberg (Seewiesen), Germany. yohannes@erl.orn.mpg.de |
Export Citation:
|
APA/MLA Format Download EndNote Download BibTex |
| MeSH Terms | |
Descriptor/Qualifier:
|
Africa, Western
/
epidemiology Animal Migration Animals Carbon Isotopes / analysis Deuterium / analysis Ecosystem Feathers / chemistry* Geography Logistic Models Malaria, Avian / epidemiology* Molting Multivariate Analysis Nitrogen Isotopes / analysis Prevalence Seasons Songbirds / parasitology* Sulfur Isotopes / analysis Tropical Climate |
| Chemical | |
Reg. No./Substance:
|
0/Carbon Isotopes; 0/Nitrogen Isotopes; 0/Sulfur Isotopes; 7782-39-0/Deuterium |
From MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine
Previous Document: Fundamental limits to the accuracy of deuterium isotopes for identifying the spatial origin of migra...
Next Document: The diagnostic value of ultrasound in cystic kidney diseases.