Diversity and structure of feather mite communities on seabirds from the north-east Atlantic and Mediterranean Sea.

ABSTRACT: The richness and structure of symbiont assemblages are shaped by many factors acting at different spatial and temporal scales. Among them, host phylogeny and geographic distance play essential roles. To explore drivers of richness and structure of symbiont assemblages, feather mites and seabirds are an attractive model due to their peculiar traits. Feather mites are permanent ectosymbionts and considered highly host-specific with limited dispersal abilities. Seabirds harbour species-rich feather mite communities and their colonial breeding provides opportunities for symbionts to exploit several host species. To unravel the richness and test the influence of host phylogeny and geographic distance on mite communities, we collected feather mites from 11 seabird species breeding across the Atl

SUBMITTER: Stefan LM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10036324 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature