title: Population expansion and individual age affect endoparasite richness and diversity in a recolonising large carnivore population.
abstract: The recent recolonisation of the Central European lowland (CEL) by the grey wolf (Canis lupus) provides an excellent opportunity to study the effect of founder events on endoparasite diversity. Which role do prey and predator populations play in the re-establishment of endoparasite life cycles? Which intrinsic and extrinsic factors control individual endoparasite diversity in an expanding host population? In 53 individually known CEL wolves sampled in Germany, we revealed a community of four cestode, eight nematode, one trematode and 12 potential Sarcocystis species through molecular genetic techniques. Infections with zoonotic Echinococcus multilocularis, Trichinella britovi and T. spiralis occurred as single cases. Per capita endoparasite species richness and diversity significantly increased with population size and changed with age, whereas sex, microsatellite heterozygosity, and geographic origin had no effect. Tapeworm abundance (Taenia spp.) was significantly higher in immigrants than natives. Metacestode prevalence was slightly higher in ungulates from wolf territories than from control areas elsewhere. Even though alternative canid definitive hosts might also play a role within the investigated parasite life cycles, our findings indicate that (1) immigrated wolves increase parasite diversity in German packs, and (2) prevalence of wolf-associated parasites had declined during wolf absence and has now risen during recolonisation.
authors.affiliation: Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research, Alfred-Kowalke-Straße 17, 10315 Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Ines
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Lesniak
authors.affiliation: Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research, Alfred-Kowalke-Straße 17, 10315 Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Ilja
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Heckmann
authors.affiliation: Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research, Alfred-Kowalke-Straße 17, 10315 Berlin, Germany.|Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Ecology and Evolution of Molecular Parasite Host Interactions, Philippstraße 13, 10115 Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Emanuel
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Heitlinger
authors.affiliation: Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research, Alfred-Kowalke-Straße 17, 10315 Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Claudia A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Szentiks
authors.affiliation: Senckenberg Research Institute and Natural History Museum Frankfurt, Clamecystrasse 12, 63571 Gelnhausen, Germany.
authors.forename: Carsten
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Nowak
authors.affiliation: Senckenberg Research Institute and Natural History Museum Frankfurt, Clamecystrasse 12, 63571 Gelnhausen, Germany.
authors.forename: Verena
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Harms
authors.affiliation: Senckenberg Research Institute and Natural History Museum Frankfurt, Clamecystrasse 12, 63571 Gelnhausen, Germany.
authors.forename: Anne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Jarausch
authors.affiliation: LUPUS Institute for Wolf Monitoring and Research in Germany, Dorfstraße 20, 02979 Spreewitz, Germany.
authors.forename: Ilka
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Reinhardt
authors.affiliation: LUPUS Institute for Wolf Monitoring and Research in Germany, Dorfstraße 20, 02979 Spreewitz, Germany.
authors.forename: Gesa
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Kluth
authors.affiliation: Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research, Alfred-Kowalke-Straße 17, 10315 Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Heribert
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hofer
authors.affiliation: Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research, Alfred-Kowalke-Straße 17, 10315 Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Oliver
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Krone
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D044822:Biodiversity; D004272:DNA, Mitochondrial; D004276:DNA, Satellite; D005843:Geography; D006376:Helminths / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics; D006790:Host-Parasite Interactions; D010271:Parasites / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics; D011156:Population Density; D019596:Wolves / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics / Q000469:parasitology*
chemical_list: D004272:DNA, Mitochondrial; D004276:DNA, Satellite