Experimental assessment of the effects of gastrointestinal parasites on offspring quality in chinstrap penguins ( Pygoscelis antarctica)
SUMMARY Parasites reduce host fitness and consequently impose strong selection pressures on their hosts. It has been hypothesized that parasites are scarcer and their overall effect on hosts is weaker at higher latitudes. Although Antarctic birds have relatively low numbers of parasites, their effec...
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2012
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Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0031182011002381 https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0031182011002381 |
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crcambridgeupr:10.1017/s0031182011002381 2024-05-19T07:29:48+00:00 Experimental assessment of the effects of gastrointestinal parasites on offspring quality in chinstrap penguins ( Pygoscelis antarctica) PALACIOS, M. J. VALERA, F. BARBOSA, A. 2012 http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0031182011002381 https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0031182011002381 en eng Cambridge University Press (CUP) https://www.cambridge.org/core/terms Parasitology volume 139, issue 6, page 819-824 ISSN 0031-1820 1469-8161 journal-article 2012 crcambridgeupr https://doi.org/10.1017/s0031182011002381 2024-04-25T06:51:23Z SUMMARY Parasites reduce host fitness and consequently impose strong selection pressures on their hosts. It has been hypothesized that parasites are scarcer and their overall effect on hosts is weaker at higher latitudes. Although Antarctic birds have relatively low numbers of parasites, their effect on host fitness has rarely been investigated. The effect of helminth parasitism on growth rate was experimentally studied in chinstrap penguin ( Pygoscelis antarctica ) nestlings. In a total of 22 two-nestling broods, 1 nestling was treated with anthelminthics (for cestodes and nematodes) while its sibling was left as a control. Increased growth rate was predicted in de-wormed nestlings compared to their siblings. As expected, 15 days after treatment, the experimental nestlings had increased body mass more than their siblings. These results show a non-negligible negative effect of helminth parasites on nestling body condition that would presumably affect future survival and thus fitness, and it has been suggested there is a strong relationship between body mass and mortality in chinstrap penguins. Article in Journal/Newspaper Antarc* Antarctic Antarctica Chinstrap penguin Pygoscelis antarctica Cambridge University Press Parasitology 139 6 819 824 |
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Open Polar |
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Cambridge University Press |
op_collection_id |
crcambridgeupr |
language |
English |
description |
SUMMARY Parasites reduce host fitness and consequently impose strong selection pressures on their hosts. It has been hypothesized that parasites are scarcer and their overall effect on hosts is weaker at higher latitudes. Although Antarctic birds have relatively low numbers of parasites, their effect on host fitness has rarely been investigated. The effect of helminth parasitism on growth rate was experimentally studied in chinstrap penguin ( Pygoscelis antarctica ) nestlings. In a total of 22 two-nestling broods, 1 nestling was treated with anthelminthics (for cestodes and nematodes) while its sibling was left as a control. Increased growth rate was predicted in de-wormed nestlings compared to their siblings. As expected, 15 days after treatment, the experimental nestlings had increased body mass more than their siblings. These results show a non-negligible negative effect of helminth parasites on nestling body condition that would presumably affect future survival and thus fitness, and it has been suggested there is a strong relationship between body mass and mortality in chinstrap penguins. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
PALACIOS, M. J. VALERA, F. BARBOSA, A. |
spellingShingle |
PALACIOS, M. J. VALERA, F. BARBOSA, A. Experimental assessment of the effects of gastrointestinal parasites on offspring quality in chinstrap penguins ( Pygoscelis antarctica) |
author_facet |
PALACIOS, M. J. VALERA, F. BARBOSA, A. |
author_sort |
PALACIOS, M. J. |
title |
Experimental assessment of the effects of gastrointestinal parasites on offspring quality in chinstrap penguins ( Pygoscelis antarctica) |
title_short |
Experimental assessment of the effects of gastrointestinal parasites on offspring quality in chinstrap penguins ( Pygoscelis antarctica) |
title_full |
Experimental assessment of the effects of gastrointestinal parasites on offspring quality in chinstrap penguins ( Pygoscelis antarctica) |
title_fullStr |
Experimental assessment of the effects of gastrointestinal parasites on offspring quality in chinstrap penguins ( Pygoscelis antarctica) |
title_full_unstemmed |
Experimental assessment of the effects of gastrointestinal parasites on offspring quality in chinstrap penguins ( Pygoscelis antarctica) |
title_sort |
experimental assessment of the effects of gastrointestinal parasites on offspring quality in chinstrap penguins ( pygoscelis antarctica) |
publisher |
Cambridge University Press (CUP) |
publishDate |
2012 |
url |
http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0031182011002381 https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0031182011002381 |
genre |
Antarc* Antarctic Antarctica Chinstrap penguin Pygoscelis antarctica |
genre_facet |
Antarc* Antarctic Antarctica Chinstrap penguin Pygoscelis antarctica |
op_source |
Parasitology volume 139, issue 6, page 819-824 ISSN 0031-1820 1469-8161 |
op_rights |
https://www.cambridge.org/core/terms |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1017/s0031182011002381 |
container_title |
Parasitology |
container_volume |
139 |
container_issue |
6 |
container_start_page |
819 |
op_container_end_page |
824 |
_version_ |
1799481554386288640 |