title: High local diversity of Trypanosoma in a common bat species, and implications for the biogeography and taxonomy of the T. cruzi clade.
abstract: The Trypanosoma cruzi clade is a group of parasites that comprises T. cruzi sensu lato and its closest relatives. Although several species have been confirmed phylogenetically to belong to this clade, it is uncertain how many more species can be expected to belong into this group. Here, we present the results of a survey of trypanosome parasites of the bat Artibeus jamaicensis from the Panamá Canal Zone, an important seed disperser. Using a genealogical species delimitation approach, the Poisson tree processes (PTP), we tentatively identified five species of trypanosomes - all belonging to the T. cruzi clade. A small monophyletic group of three putative Trypanosoma species places at the base of the clade phylogeny, providing evidence for at least five independent colonization events of these parasites into the New World. Artibeus jamaicensis presents a high diversity of these blood parasites and is the vertebrate with the highest number of putative trypanosome species reported from a single locality. Our results emphasize the need for continued efforts to survey mammalian trypanosomes.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Experimental Ecology, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany; Institute of Medical Microbiology and Hygiene, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany.
authors.forename: Veronika M
authors.initials: VM
authors.lastname: Cottontail
authors.affiliation: Institute of Experimental Ecology, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany; Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Balboa, Panama.
authors.forename: Elisabeth K V
authors.initials: EK
authors.lastname: Kalko
authors.affiliation: kbo-Isar-Amper-Klinikum, Taufkirchen (Vils), Germany.
authors.forename: Iain
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Cottontail
authors.affiliation: Institute of Medical Microbiology and Hygiene, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany; Gaertner & Colleagues Laboratory, Ravensburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Nele
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Wellinghausen
authors.affiliation: Institute of Experimental Ecology, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany; Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Balboa, Panama.
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tschapka
authors.affiliation: Sackler Institute for Comparative Genomics, American Museum of Natural History, New York, New York, United States of America.
authors.forename: Susan L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Perkins
authors.affiliation: Sackler Institute for Comparative Genomics, American Museum of Natural History, New York, New York, United States of America; Department of Mammalogy, American Museum of Natural History, New York, New York, United States of America; The Graduate Center, City University of New York, New York, New York, United States of America; Centro de Investigación en Enfermedades Infecciosas, Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador, Quito, Ecuador.
authors.forename: C Miguel
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Pinto
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D014355:Chagas Disease / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology / Q000662:veterinary*; D002685:Chiroptera / Q000469:parasitology*; D017125:Genes, Protozoan; D014644:Genetic Variation; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010176:Panama; D010802:Phylogeny; D058974:Phylogeography; D012337:RNA, Ribosomal, 18S / Q000235:genetics*; D014349:Trypanosoma cruzi / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification
chemical_list: D012337:RNA, Ribosomal, 18S