Insularity effects on the assemblage of the blood parasite community of the birds from the Gulf of Guinea.

ABSTRACT:

Aim

Lower species diversity, increased population densities and ecological niche enlargement are common characteristics of island faunas. However it remains to be determined if they extend to the parasite community. We tested if Haemosporidia parasite pressure varies between islands and the mainland with two different levels of analysis: i) at the host community level, and ii) with paired-species comparisons between islands and the mainland.

Location

Gulf of Guinea, West Africa.

Methods

We used molecular-based methods to identify avian Haemosporidian parasites (Plasmodium, Haemoproteus and Leucocytozoon) to describe their diversity, prevalence, host specificity and their phylogenetic relationships in five islands of the Gulf of Guinea and in nearb

SUBMITTER: Loiseau C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5663302 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature