Population genetic structure and colonisation of the western Antarctic Peninsula by the seabird tick Ixodes uriae ...
Recent observations on the western Antarctic Peninsula have suggested that changing climatic conditions may be increasing pressure on breeding seabirds due to higher exploitation rates by the tick Ixodes uriae. Using data from 8 microsatellite markers and ticks from 6 Pygoscelis spp. colonies, we em...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article in Journal/Newspaper |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Universitätsbibliothek Gießen
2012
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://dx.doi.org/10.22029/jlupub-213 https://jlupub.ub.uni-giessen.de//handle/jlupub/266 |
| Summary: | Recent observations on the western Antarctic Peninsula have suggested that changing climatic conditions may be increasing pressure on breeding seabirds due to higher exploitation rates by the tick Ixodes uriae. Using data from 8 microsatellite markers and ticks from 6 Pygoscelis spp. colonies, we employed a population genetics approach to specifically test the hypothesis that I. uriae is expanding south-westward along the peninsula from the Subantarctic region. Contrary to expectations, tick genetic diversity was high within all colonies, and no remaining signal of colonisation events was evident. Although significant geographic genetic structure occurred among ticks from different colonies, these ectoparasites tended to belong to 2 major genetic groups, one found principally in south-western locations (Palmer Station area) and the other in more north-eastern areas (South Shetland Islands). More central colonies showed a mixture of ticks from each genetic group, suggesting that this area represents a ... |
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