title: Local parasite lineage sharing in temperate grassland birds provides clues about potential origins of Galapagos avian Plasmodium.
abstract: Oceanic archipelagos are vulnerable to natural introduction of parasites via migratory birds. Our aim was to characterize the geographic origins of two Plasmodium parasite lineages detected in the Galapagos Islands and in North American breeding bobolinks (Dolichonyx oryzivorus) that regularly stop in Galapagos during migration to their South American overwintering sites. We used samples from a grassland breeding bird assemblage in Nebraska, United States, and parasite DNA sequences from the Galapagos Islands, Ecuador, to compare to global data in a DNA sequence registry. Homologous DNA sequences from parasites detected in bobolinks and more sedentary birds (e.g., brown-headed cowbirds Molothrus ater, and other co-occurring bird species resident on the North American breeding grounds) were compared to those recovered in previous studies from global sites. One parasite lineage that matched between Galapagos birds and the migratory bobolink, Plasmodium lineage B, was the most common lineage detected in the global MalAvi database, matching 49 sequences from unique host/site combinations, 41 of which were of South American origin. We did not detect lineage B in brown-headed cowbirds. The other Galapagos-bobolink match, Plasmodium lineage C, was identical to two other sequences from birds sampled in California. We detected a close variant of lineage C in brown-headed cowbirds. Taken together, this pattern suggests that bobolinks became infected with lineage B on the South American end of their migratory range, and with lineage C on the North American breeding grounds. Overall, we detected more parasite lineages in bobolinks than in cowbirds. Galapagos Plasmodium had similar host breadth compared to the non-Galapagos haemosporidian lineages detected in bobolinks, brown-headed cowbirds, and other grassland species. This study highlights the utility of global haemosporidian data in the context of migratory bird-parasite connectivity. It is possible that migratory bobolinks bring parasites to the Galapagos and that these parasites originate from different biogeographic regions representing both their breeding and overwintering sites.
authors: Department of Biology University of Missouri - St. Louis One University Blvd.St. Louis Missouri 63121; Whitney R. Harris World Ecology Center University of Missouri - St. Louis One University Blvd.St. Louis Missouri 63121; Saint Louis Zoo WildCare Institute One Government Dr.St. Louis Missouri 63110.
authors: Iris I
authors: II
authors: Levin
authors: Department of Biology University of Missouri - St. Louis One University Blvd. St. Louis Missouri 63121.
authors: Rachel E
authors: RE
authors: Colborn
authors: Platte River Whooping Crane Maintenance Trust 6611 W. Whooping Crane Dr. Wood River Nebraska 68883.
authors: Daniel
authors: D
authors: Kim
authors: Department of Environmental Studies University of New England 11 Hills Beach Road Biddeford Maine 04005.
authors: Noah G
authors: NG
authors: Perlut
authors: Vermont Center for Ecostudies PO Box 420 Norwich Vermont 05055.
authors: Rosalind B
authors: RB
authors: Renfrew
authors: Department of Biology University of Missouri - St. Louis One University Blvd.St. Louis Missouri 63121; Whitney R. Harris World Ecology Center University of Missouri - St. Louis One University Blvd.St. Louis Missouri 63121; Saint Louis Zoo WildCare Institute One Government Dr.St. Louis Missouri 63110.
authors: Patricia G
authors: PG
authors: Parker
keywords: Dolichonyx oryzivorus; Galapagos Islands; Molothrus ater; Plasmodium; haemosporidian parasites; host breadth; migration