New host and lineage diversity of avian haemosporidia in the northern Andes.

Ryan J Harrigan,Anthony C Chasar,Alexis Whitaker,Raul Sedano,Jaime A Chaves,Jennifer T Nguyen,Thomas B Smith

doi:10.1111/eva.12176

Ryan J Harrigan, Anthony C Chasar + Show 5 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1111/eva.12176

Copy DOI

Abstract

The northern Andes, with their steep elevational and climate gradients, are home to an exceptional diversity of flora and fauna, particularly rich in avian species that have adapted to divergent ecological conditions. With this diversity comes the opportunity for parasites to exploit a wide breadth of avian hosts. However, little research has focused on examining the patterns of prevalence and lineage diversity of avian parasites in the Andes. Here, we screened a total of 428 birds from 19 species (representing nine families) and identified 133 infections of avian haemosporidia (31%), including lineages of Plasmodium, Haemoproteus, and Leucocytozoon. We document a higher prevalence of haemosporidia at higher elevations and lower temperatures, as well as an overall high diversity of lineages in the northern Andes, including the first sequences of haemosporidians reported in hummingbirds (31 sequences found in 11 species within the family Trochilidae). Double infections were distinguished using PHASE, which enables the separation of distinct parasite lineages. Results suggest that the ecological heterogeneity of the northern Andes that has given rise to a rich diversity of avian hosts may also be particularly conducive to parasite diversification and specialization.

Highlights

The biological richness and high endemism of the tropical Andes, within avian species, has long been recognized (Myers et al 2000; Orme et al 2005)
We found high prevalence of haemosporidia in one hummingbird species (31%, P. yaruqui), and numerous parasite lineages in this family (n = 12, Trochilidae), suggesting that these hosts harbor chronic infections, and that they survive infection of these endemic parasites
High prevalence of anemia-inducing parasites may be debilitating in high-altitude species such as hummingbirds, who are likely at their ecological extremes and already under tight metabolic constraints given their body size and altitudinal range

Summary

Introduction

The biological richness and high endemism of the tropical Andes, within avian species, has long been recognized (Myers et al 2000; Orme et al 2005). Close to 40% of all bird families occur within the tropical Andes, and nearly as many species occur here as in the neighboring Amazon Basin, a region that is 14 times larger in area (Herzog and Kattan 2011). This high taxonomic diversity is most certainly driven in part by the heterogeneous environments and variable climates that are characteristic of the steep elevational gradients of the Andes (Guarnizo et al 2008; Richter et al 2009; Herzog and Kattan 2011; Kieswetter and Schneider 2013). Parasite communities should not be excluded from notions of ‘biodiversity’; high parasite diversity often accompanies high host diversity (Ricklefs and Fallon 2002; Hechinger and Lafferty 2005; Keesing et al 2010; Schaer et al 2013)

Methods

Results

Conclusion