A5014391394- Bird parasitology and diseases
- Gut microbiota and health
- Vector-borne infectious diseases
- Species Distribution and Climate Change
- Parasite Biology and Host Interactions
- Avian ecology and behavior
- Study of Mite Species
- Animal Behavior and Reproduction
- Genetic diversity and population structure
- Bat Biology and Ecology Studies
- Animal Vocal Communication and Behavior
- Wildlife Ecology and Conservation
- Viral Infections and Vectors
- Amphibian and Reptile Biology
- Coastal wetland ecosystem dynamics
- Clostridium difficile and Clostridium perfringens research
- Insect symbiosis and bacterial influences
- Evolution and Paleontology Studies
- Reproductive tract infections research
- Scientific Computing and Data Management
- Evolution and Genetic Dynamics
- Climate Change and Health Impacts
- Research Data Management Practices
- Morphological variations and asymmetry
Field Museum of Natural History
2015-2025
University of Connecticut
2023-2025
University of Chicago
2018-2023
In this comprehensive survey of microbiomes >900 species, including 315 mammals and 491 birds, we find a striking convergence the birds animals that fly. nonflying mammals, diet short-term evolutionary relatedness drive microbiome, many microbial species are specific to particular kind mammal, but flying break pattern with microbes shared across different little correlation either or hosts. This finding suggests adaptation flight breaks long-held relationships between hosts their microbes.
Abstract Aim Macroecological analyses provide valuable insights into factors that influence how parasites are distributed across space and among hosts. Amid large uncertainties arise when generalizing from local regional findings, hierarchical approaches applied to global datasets required determine whether drivers of parasite infection patterns vary scales. We assessed haemosporidian infections a broad diversity avian host clades zoogeographical realms depict hotspots prevalence identify...
Abstract Aim The role of migratory birds in the spread parasites is poorly known, part because strategies and behaviours potentially affecting transmission are not easy to study. We investigated dynamics infection by blood through annual cycle a long‐distance Nearctic–Neotropical songbird examine this species dispersing between continents. Location Americas. Taxon Grey‐cheeked Thrush ( Catharus minimus , Aves, Passeriformes, Turdidae), Birds. Methods used molecular microscopy screening...
Significance Interactions between hosts and parasites can reciprocally limit the ranges of individual species. But to what extent do they affect composition communities? In Andean biodiversity hot spot, we tested why host parasite communities vary over spatial temporal scales. Variation in rainfall was predominant predictor turnover for both parasites. However, effects species interactions were asymmetric: Parasite strongly predicted by communities, but not vice versa. Against conventional...
Seasonal migration of Nearctic-Neotropical passerine birds may have profound effects on the diversity and abundance their host-associated microbiota. Migratory experience seasonal change in environments diets throughout course annual cycle that, along with recurrent biological events such as reproduction, significantly impact In this study, we characterize intestinal microbiota four closely related species migratory Catharus thrushes at three time points cycle: during spring migration,...
Abstract Migratory animals experiencing substantial change in diet and habitat across the annual cycle may have corresponding shifts host‐associated microbial diversity. Using automated telemetry radio tags to recapture birds, we examined gut microbiota structure same population often individual of Kirtland's Warblers ( Setophaga kirtlandii ) initially sampled on their wintering grounds The Bahamas subsequently resampled within breeding territories Michigan, USA. Initial sampling occurred...
Abstract Background Rapid morphological change is emerging as a consequence of climate in many systems. It intuitive to hypothesize that temporal trends are driven by the same selective pressures have established well-known ecogeographic patterns over spatial environmental gradients (e.g., Bergman’s and Allen’s rules). However, mechanistic understanding contemporary shifts lacking. Results We combine data whole genome sequencing from four-decade dataset migratory bird hermit thrush (...
The composition and diversity of avian microbiota are shaped by many factors, including host ecologies environmental variables. In this study, we examine microbial across 214 bird species sampled in Malawi at five major body sites: blood, buccal cavity, gizzard, intestinal tract, cloaca. Microbial community dissimilarity differed significantly sites. Ecological theory predicts that as area increases, so does diversity. We tested the hypothesis is correlated with size, used a proxy for area,...
ABSTRACT Common names of species are important for communicating with the general public. In principle, these should provide an accessible way to engage and identify species. The official common have historically been labile without standard guidelines, even within a language. Currently, there is no systematic assessment how often communicate identifiable biologically relevant characteristics about This particular issue in ornithology, where used more than scientific birds written spoken...
Data is presented in support of a phylogenetic reconstruction one the largest, and most poorly understood, groups lice: Brueelia-complex (Bush et al., 2015[1]). Presented data include voucher information molecular (GenBank accession numbers) 333 ingroup taxa within 30 outgroup selected from across order Phthiraptera. Also included are reconstructions based on Bayesian inference analyses combined COI EF-1α sequences for species taxa.
ABSTRACT Aim Changing biodiversity and environmental conditions may allow multi‐host pathogens to spread among host species affect prevalence. There are several widely acknowledged theories about mechanisms that influence variation in pathogen prevalence, including the controversially debated dilution effect abundance‐occupancy relationship hypotheses. Here, we explore such relationships for unique lineages of three vector‐borne avian blood parasite genera (the malaria Plasmodium related...
Large comparative datasets of avian functional traits have been used to address a wide range questions in ecology and evolution. To date, this work has constrained by the limited availability skeletal trait that include extensive inter- intra-specific sampling. We use computer vision identify measure bones from photographs museum specimens assemble an dataset functionally important elements birds. The spans 2,057 species birds (Aves: Passeriformes) includes measurements 12 14,419...
Gut microbiota interact with host biology in numerous important ways. The forces shaping the composition, diversity, and function of vary within between species. Avian often correlate more strongly sampling location specific environmental variables than host‐associated factors such as age, but robust, range‐wide is rare. To better understand connection geographic distance microbiota, fecal samples were collected from non‐migratory Canada goose populations across United States. We expected...
Variation in susceptibility is ubiquitous multi-host, multi-parasite assemblages, and can have profound implications for ecology evolution. The extent to which phylogenetically conserved among hosts poorly understood has rarely been appropriately tested. We screened haemosporidian parasites 3983 birds representing 40 families 523 species, spanning ~4500 meters elevation the tropical Andes. To quantify influence of host phylogeny on infection status, we applied Bayesian phylogenetic...
Gut microbiota are increasingly recognized as an integral aspect of host health, and influenced by environmental factors, diet, regular physiological stressors such seasonal movement ecologies. Migratory animals experiencing substantial change in diet habitat across the annual cycle may have corresponding shifts host-associated microbial diversity. Yet, challenges associated with sample collection from wild often inhibit resampling same populations individuals which turn decreases ability to...
Migratory animals experiencing substantial change in diet and habitat across the annual cycle may have corresponding shifts host-associated microbial diversity. Using automated telemetry radio tags to recapture birds, we examined gut microbiome structure same population often individuals of Kirtland’s Warblers (Setophaga kirtlandii) on their wintering grounds The Bahamas breeding territories Michigan, USA. community composition microbiota varied significantly between locations with diversity...