Patterns of host-parasite associations in tropical lice and their passerine hosts in Cameroon.

ABSTRACT: Coevolutionary processes that drive the patterns of host-parasite associations can be deduced through congruence analysis of their phylogenies. Feather lice and their avian hosts have previously been used as typical model systems for congruence analysis; however, such analyses are strongly biased toward nonpasserine hosts in the temperate zone. Further, in the Afrotropical region especially, cospeciation studies of lice and birds are entirely missing. This work supplements knowledge of host-parasite associations in lice using cospeciation analysis of feather lice (genus Myrsidea and the Brueelia complex) and their avian hosts in the tropical rainforests of Cameroon. Our analysis revealed a limited number of cospeciation events in both parasite groups. The parasite-host associ

SUBMITTER: Gajdosova M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7381757 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature