title: New host and lineage diversity of avian haemosporidia in the northern Andes.
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.
authors.affiliation: Center for Tropical Research, Institute of the Environment and Sustainability, University of California Los Angeles, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Ryan J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Harrigan
authors.affiliation: Escuela de Biología, Universidad Industrial de Santander Bucaramanga, Colombia.
authors.forename: Raul
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sedano
authors.affiliation: Center for Tropical Research, Institute of the Environment and Sustainability, University of California Los Angeles, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Anthony C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Chasar
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, University of Miami Coral Gables, FL, USA ; Universidad San Francisco de Quito, USFQ, Colegio de Ciencias Biológicas y Ambientales, y Extensión Galápagos, Campus Cumbayá Casilla, Ecuador.
authors.forename: Jaime A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Chaves
authors.affiliation: Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California Los Angeles, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Jennifer T
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: Nguyen
authors.affiliation: Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California Los Angeles, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Alexis
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Whitaker
authors.affiliation: Center for Tropical Research, Institute of the Environment and Sustainability, University of California Los Angeles, CA, USA ; Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California Los Angeles, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Thomas B
authors.initials: TB
authors.lastname: Smith
keywords: Andes; Haemoproteus; Leucocytozoon; Plasmodium.; avian malaria; haemosporidia; hummingbirds