Bird Tissues from Museum Collections Are Reliable for Assessing Avian Haemosporidian Diversity.

Birds harbor a diverse group of haemosporidian parasites that reproduce and develop in the host blood cells, muscle tissue, and various organs, which can cause negative effects on the survival and reproduction of their avian hosts. Characterization of the diversity, distribution, host specificity, prevalence patterns, and phylogenetic relationships of these parasites is critical to the study of avian host-parasite ecology and evolution and for understanding and preventing epidemics in wild bird populations. Here, we tested whether muscle and liver samples collected as part of standard ornithological museum expeditions can be examined to study the diversity and distributions of haemosporidians in the same way as blood collected from individual birds that are typically banded and released. We used a standard molecular diagnostic screening method for mitochondrial DNA (cytochrome b) of the parasites and found that blood, muscle, and liver collected from the same host individual provide similar estimates of prevalence and diversity of haemosporidians from the genera Parahaemoproteus and Leucocytozoon. Although we found higher prevalence for the genus Plasmodium when we screened blood vs. liver and muscle samples, the estimates of the diversity of Plasmodium from different tissue types are not affected at the community level. Given these results, we conclude that for several reasons existing museum genetic resources collections are valuable data sources for the study of haemosporidians. First, ornithological museum collections around the world house tens of thousands of vouchered tissue samples collected from remote regions of the world. Second, the host specimens are vouchered and thus host identification and phenotype are permanently documented in databased archives with a diversity of associated ancillary data. Thus, not only can identifications be confirmed but also a diversity of morphological measurements and data can be measured and accessed for these host specimens in perpetuity.

Phylogenetic relationships of flowerpeckers (Aves: Dicaeidae): novel insights into the evolution of a tropical passerine clade.

Understanding the relationships and evolution of flowerpeckers has been challenging, particularly as no phylogenetic study has as yet assessed the group. Here, we present a first such analysis of this clade based on sequences of two mitochondrial genes and one nuclear intron. Our analyses offer strong support for monophyly of the Dicaeidae. Within the family, 4 Dicaeum species (D. chrysorrheum, D. melanoxanthum, D. agile, and D. everetii) had closer affinity to Prionochilus, although tests of alternative topologies could not reject reciprocal monophyly of the two genera. Across the family, overall bill shape trends from more stout bills basally to more slender and medium bills, whereas sexual dichromatism and plumage patterns show much more homoplasy. Taxonomically, generic allocations may need to be changed to reflect historical relationships better.

Geographic variation in the rosy thrush-tanager (rhodinocichla rosea) complex of mesoamerica (aves: passeriformes)

Patterns of differentiation and geographic variation among populations of the Rhodinocichla complex are described. We document the existence of a heretofore unreported population in the vicinity of Acapulco, Guerrero, Mexico. The species occurs in 4-6 allopatric populations, each of which has unique characters that make it diagnosable. We recommend that the complex be considered a single biological species, but at least five phylogenetic species.

Se describen los patrones de diferenciación y variación geográfica entre poblaciones del complejo de Rhodinocichla. Se documenta la existencia de una población antes no conocida en los alrededores de Acapulco, Guerrero, México. La especie se encuentra dividida en 4-6 poblaciones alopátricas, cada una de las cuales tiene caracteres únicos que permiten diagnosticar a la población. Se recomienda que el compejo sea considerado como una sola especie biológica o como por lo menos cinco especies filogenéticas.