Parasite-associated mortality in birds: the roles of specialist parasites and host evolutionary distance

Galen, Spencer C.; Ray, Suravi; Henry, Marissa; Weckstein, Jason D.

doi:10.1098/rsbl.2021.0575

Cited by 11 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 76 publications

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“…Altogether, our results suggest that sex differences in parasite prevalence are not a general rule in wild birds but could emerge in particular circumstances, more frequently affecting females than males. One important evolutionary implication is that parasitism can relate to mortality in animals, including birds (Galen et al 2022). A female biased-parasitism then would suggest higher mortality rates in females, which in fact seems to be the norm in wild birds (Liker & Székely 2005).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Sex-specific parasite prevalence is predicted by sexual size dimorphism in wild birds

Valdebenito

Jones

Székely

2023

Preprint

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Males and females often differ in ecology and behaviour, and these differences are expected to lead to sex differences in parasite susceptibility. However, sex differences in parasite prevalence have not yet been established across a broad range of taxa, and the ecological and evolutionary drivers of such differences have remained contested. Here we meta-analyse 942 sex-specific effect sizes in blood and gastrointestinal parasites of 179 wild bird species, representing 17 avian orders. Females exhibit higher infections in both Haemoproteus and Protozoan parasites than males and females also have higher prevalence in both Leucocytozoon and Haemoproteus blood parasites during the breeding season. Importantly, sex differences in parasite prevalence are not associated with sexual selection nor parental care, although male-biased prevalence in Leucocytozoon parasites were predicted by male-biased size dimorphism. Taken together, breeding systems and sexual selection have modest influence on sex difference in parasite prevalence across the avian tree of life.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Sex-specific parasite prevalence is predicted by sexual size dimorphism in wild birds

Valdebenito

Jones

Székely

2023

Preprint

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“…high parasite specificity) increase the odds of extinction as parasites become too reliant on a single or few host species (Colwell et al, 2012). Distinct levels of host specificity lead to characteristic interactions among host and parasite species, shaping host-parasite community structure and complexity (Fenton & Brockhurst, 2008;Galen et al, 2022;Pinheiro et al, 2016).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…high parasite specificity) increase the odds of extinction as parasites become too reliant on a single or few host species (Colwell et al., 2012). Distinct levels of host specificity lead to characteristic interactions among host and parasite species, shaping host–parasite community structure and complexity (Fenton & Brockhurst, 2008; Galen et al., 2022; Pinheiro et al., 2016). The degree of specialization of host–parasite networks is dependent on, and highly correlated with, the level of specialization of parasites towards their hosts (Blüthgen et al., 2006).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Network specificity decreases community stability and competition among avian haemosporidian parasites and their hosts

de Angeli Dutra,

Poulin

2024

Global Ecol Biogeogr

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AimParasites play a fundamental role in shaping ecological communities and influencing trophic interactions. Understanding the factors that drive parasite impacts on community structure and stability (i.e. resilience to disturbances) is crucial for predicting disease dynamics and implementing effective conservation strategies. In this study, using avian malaria and malaria‐like parasites as a model system, we investigated the relationship between specificity, community stability and parasite vulnerability and their association with host diversity and climate.LocationGlobal.Time period2009–2023.Major taxa studiedAvian malaria and malaria‐like parasites.MethodsBy compiling occurrence data from a global avian haemosporidian parasite database (MalAvi), we constructed a comprehensive dataset encompassing 60 communities. We utilized a phylogenetic model approach to predict missing host–parasite interactions, enhancing the accuracy of our analyses. Network analyses based on bipartite interactions provided measures of network specificity, stability, modularity, parasite competition and vulnerability to extinction.ResultsWe found that the high network specificity reduced community stability and decreased competition among parasites. Furthermore, we found that parasite vulnerability decreased with increasing community stability, highlighting the importance of community stability in host–parasite interactions for long‐term parasite persistence. When exploring the influence of local host diversity and climate conditions on host–parasite community stability, we demonstrated that increasing host biodiversity and precipitation reduces parasite competition. Conversely, higher temperature raises competition among parasites.ConclusionThese findings provide valuable insights into the mechanisms underlying parasite impacts on communities and the interplay between specificity, community stability and environmental factors. Further, we reveal the role of climate in shaping host–parasite interactions. By unravelling the complexities of parasite‐mediated interactions, our research substantially improves the current knowledge of the importance of specificity as a modulator of interactions in bipartite networks.

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“…Parasite infection can have severe consequences for wild species, resulting in alterations in their body condition, heightened physiological responses (O'Dwyer et al, 2020), and elevated mortalities among host species (Galen et al, 2022). Consisting of vector-borne parasites belonging to the genera Plasmodium, Haemoproteus, and Leucocytozoon, avian blood parasites (haemosporidian) provide an ideal system to investigate the consequences of parasite infection (Valkiunas, 2004).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The impacts of host traits on parasite infection of montane birds in southwestern China

Zhan,

Huang,

Pagani-Núñez

et al. 2024

Front. Ecol. Evol.

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Parasitic infections have the potential to impact the hosts’ body condition, elevate physiological responses, and ultimately lead to increased mortality. Host-parasite interactions are tied to the ecological and life-history traits of the hosts. While montane birds are susceptible to avian blood parasites, few studies have simultaneously assessed how inter- and intra-specific traits of hosts influence their probability of parasite infection. In this study, we screened for avian blood parasites across 214 individuals from 51 species at two sites, including a lowland farmland at 700 m and a highland forest at 2,500 m, in the Gaoligong Mountains in southwestern China. Overall blood parasite prevalence was 53.74%, with divergent species-specific prevalence ranging from 6.25% to 66.67%. We also measured traits indicative of body condition and physiological responses of each sampled individual. Using Bayesian phylogenetic logistic models, we assessed whether parasite infection probability is associated with ecological and life history traits of host species. Larger bird species were more likely to be infected than smaller bird species, and omnivore species showed lower susceptibility than those with other diets such as insectivores and herbivores. In contrast, foraging strata, nest type, and participation in mixed-species flocks of host species did not affect infection probability. We then used a reduced sample of eight species with more than five individuals, to assess the associations between intra-specific infection probability and host body condition, represented by fat and muscle reserves, and acute stress responses measured through breath rate. While infected individuals were likely to have more fat reserves than non-infected individuals, we did not find any association between infection probability and muscle reserve and body mass, nor with breath rate. Our results revealed that at the species level, specific traits (body mass and diet) of host species predict infection probability and implied a potential link at the individual level between enhanced body condition and increased resilience to parasite infection.

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Parasite-associated mortality in birds: the roles of specialist parasites and host evolutionary distance

Cited by 11 publications

References 76 publications

Sex-specific parasite prevalence is predicted by sexual size dimorphism in wild birds

Sex-specific parasite prevalence is predicted by sexual size dimorphism in wild birds

Network specificity decreases community stability and competition among avian haemosporidian parasites and their hosts

The impacts of host traits on parasite infection of montane birds in southwestern China

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