An updated checklist of helminth and protozoan parasites of terrestrial mammals in New Zealand

McKenna, P.B.

doi:10.1080/03014220909510145

Cited by 26 publications

(18 citation statements)

References 111 publications

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“…Nonetheless, little empirical evidence remains on the extent and nature of host-parasite coextinction. Although we have confirmed that several Eimeriidae species infested moa, as previously suggested by past evidence (8), we identified that some of these species may still occur in the extant kiwi, which was previously confirmed to host an unidentified Eimeria (54). This result perhaps is unsurprising, as some Eimeriidae species can infect a broad range of host taxa (55).…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 86%

Coprolites reveal ecological interactions lost with the extinction of New Zealand birds

Boast

Weyrich

Wood

et al. 2018

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

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Over the past 50,000 y, biotic extinctions and declines have left a legacy of vacant niches and broken ecological interactions across global terrestrial ecosystems. Reconstructing the natural, unmodified ecosystems that preceded these events relies on high-resolution analyses of paleoecological deposits. Coprolites are a source of uniquely detailed information about trophic interactions and the behaviors, gut parasite communities, and microbiotas of prehistoric animal species. Such insights are critical for understanding the legacy effects of extinctions on ecosystems, and can help guide contemporary conservation and ecosystem restoration efforts. Here we use high-throughput sequencing (HTS) of ancient eukaryotic DNA from coprolites to reconstruct aspects of the biology and ecology of four species of extinct moa and the critically endangered kakapo parrot from New Zealand (NZ). Importantly, we provide evidence that moa and prehistoric kakapo consumed ectomycorrhizal fungi, suggesting these birds played a role in dispersing fungi that are key to NZ's natural forest ecosystems. We also provide the first DNA-based evidence that moa frequently supplemented their broad diets with ferns and mosses. Finally, we also find parasite taxa that provide insight into moa behavior, and present data supporting the hypothesis of coextinction between moa and several parasite species. Our study demonstrates that HTS sequencing of coprolites provides a powerful tool for resolving key aspects of ancient ecosystems and may rapidly provide information not obtainable by conventional paleoecological techniques, such as fossil analyses.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 86%

Coprolites reveal ecological interactions lost with the extinction of New Zealand birds

Boast

Weyrich

Wood

et al. 2018

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

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“…The alimentary tract of New Zealand horses is home to at least 27 species of helminth parasite; 26 nematodes and the one cestode, Anoplocephala perfoliata (McKenna 2009). Of the nematode species, half are small strongyle species (cyathostomins), of which little is known individually.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Anthelmintic resistance in equine helminth parasites – a growing issue for horse owners and veterinarians in New Zealand?

Scott

Bishop²,

Pomroy

2015

New Zealand Veterinary Journal

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There is growing concern that given the high frequency with which anthelmintics are being administered to many horses, anthelmintic resistance amongst equine helminth populations will be an increasing problem, rendering many of the currently available products unusable with little prospect of new products becoming available, at least in the near future. Worldwide, much reliance has been placed on the macrocyclic lactone (ML) group of anthelmintics, but resistance has been reported to these products as well as to the two other major anthelmintic classes used in this species, the benzimidazoles (BZ) and the tetrahydropyrimidines (e.g. pyrantel). In New Zealand, resistance has been reported to the ML and BZ groups, but not yet to pyrantel. As an alternative to interval-based anthelmintic regimens, the highly overdispersed nature of parasite populations in horses can be utilised to decide whether treatment is required, based on whether or not animals exceed a predetermined level of shedding of parasite eggs. If well managed, such a targeted and selective approach can be utilised to eliminate the majority of egg output whilst still providing a refuge for susceptible parasites to persist. Such a system would require that an adequate standard of monitoring be in place and cognisance needs to be taken of parasites or their lifecycle stages that cannot be diagnosed by routine methods. At the same time, using anthelmintics with high levels of efficacy, avoiding practices such as under-dosing, as well as utilising non-chemical means of parasite control when possible, e.g. regular removal of faeces from pasture, should all be considered. Combinations of anthelmintics, specifically of anthelmintics that target the same or a similar spectrum of parasite species, should play an important role in parasite control in horses. As well as providing arguably the highest levels of efficacy, combinations may also slow the rate at which anthelmintic resistance develops.

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“…The lack of information is a problem in parts of the world, such as New Zealand, without a long tradition in marine parasitology. Although records of adult trematodes and other parasites in New Zealand bird and fish hosts have been compiled (Hewitt & Hine 1972;Weekes 1982;McKenna 1998;Hine et al 2000), there is no similar synopsis of the occurrence of the same parasite species in their larval stages within invertebrates. Over the past several years, numerous studies have documented the presence of trematode parasites in New Zealand soft-sediment intertidal ecosystems, especially in the Otago region, South Island (e.g., Martorelli et al 2004Martorelli et al ,2006Leung et al 2009).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Trematode parasites of Otago Harbour (New Zealand) soft‐sediment intertidal ecosystems: Life cycles, ecological roles and DNA barcodes

Leung

Donald

Keeney

et al. 2009

New Zealand Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research

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Parasites, in particular trematodes (Platyhelminthes: Digenea), play major roles in the population dynamics and community structure of invertebrates on soft-sediment mudflats. Here, we provide a list of the 20 trematode species currently known to infect molluscs, crustaceans and polychaetes from Otago Harbour (New Zealand) soft-sediment intertidal areas, as well as information on their transmission modes, life cycles, andknown ecological impacts. Several of the host-parasite species combinations recorded here are reported for the first time. We also provide DNA barcodes, based on sequences of the cytochrome oxidase subunit l (CO1) gene, for 19 of the 20 trematode species, to facilitate future identification of these parasites in marine ecological studies.

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An updated checklist of helminth and protozoan parasites of terrestrial mammals in New Zealand

Cited by 26 publications

References 111 publications

Coprolites reveal ecological interactions lost with the extinction of New Zealand birds

Coprolites reveal ecological interactions lost with the extinction of New Zealand birds

Anthelmintic resistance in equine helminth parasites – a growing issue for horse owners and veterinarians in New Zealand?

Trematode parasites of Otago Harbour (New Zealand) soft‐sediment intertidal ecosystems: Life cycles, ecological roles and DNA barcodes

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