Co-structure analysis and genetic associations reveal insights into pinworms (Trypanoxyuris) and primates (Alouatta palliata) microevolutionary dynamics

Abstract Background In parasitism arm race processes and red queen dynamics between host and parasites reciprocally mold many aspects of their genetics and evolution. We performed a parallel assessment of population genetics and demography of two species of pinworms with different degrees of host specificity (Trypanoxyuris multilabiatus, species-specific; and T. minutus, genus-specific) and their host, the mantled howler monkey (Alouatta palliata), based on mitochondrial DNA sequences and microsatellite loci (these only for the host). Given that pinworms and primates have a close co-evolutionary history, covariation in several genetic aspects of their populations is expected. Results Mitochondrial DNA revealed two genetic clusters (West and East) in both pinworm species and howler monkeys, although population structure and genetic differentiation were stronger in the host, while genetic diversity was higher in pinworms than howler populations. Co-divergence tests showed no congruence between host and parasite phylogenies; nonetheless, a significant correlation was found between both pinworms and A. palliata genetic pairwise distances suggesting that the parasites’ gene flow is mediated by the host dispersal. Moreover, the parasite most infective and the host most susceptible haplotypes were also the most frequent, whereas the less divergent haplotypes tended to be either more infective (for pinworms) or more susceptible (for howlers). Finally, a positive correlation was found between pairwise p-distance of host haplotypes and that of their associated pinworm haplotypes. Conclusion The genetic configuration of pinworm populations appears to be molded by their own demography and life history traits in conjunction with the biology and evolutionary history of their hosts, including host genetic variation, social interactions, dispersal and biogeography. Similarity in patterns of genetic structure, differentiation and diversity is higher between howler monkeys and T. multilabiatus in comparison with T. minutus, highlighting the role of host-specificity in coevolving processes. Trypanoxyuris minutus exhibits genetic specificity towards the most frequent host haplotype as well as geographic specificity. Results suggest signals of potential local adaptation in pinworms and further support the notion of correlated evolution between pinworms and their primate hosts.

Download Full-text

A ten-year demographic history of a population of howler monkeys (Alouatta palliata) living in a fragmented landscape in Mexico

10.7287/peerj.preprints.800v1 ◽

2015 ◽

Author(s):

Jurgi Cristóbal Azkarate ◽

Jacob Charles Dunn ◽

Cristina Domingo Balcells ◽

Joaquim Veà Baró

Keyword(s):

Demographic History ◽

Demographic Data ◽

Resource Scarcity ◽

Alouatta Palliata ◽

Howler Monkey ◽

Fragmented Landscape ◽

Howler Monkeys ◽

Mantled Howler ◽

Mantled Howler Monkey

Long-term field studies of primates are critical for our understanding of life history and the processes driving changes in demography. Here, we present the first long-term demographic data for the northernmost population of the mantled howler monkey (Alouatta palliata). We followed 10 groups of howler monkeys living in a highly fragmented landscape between 2000 and 2011. Forest fragmentation did not seem to play a major role in the dynamics of our population, as the population size remained relatively stable over the 10-year study period, and birth rates and inter-birth intervals were comparable to those of howler monkeys at other sites. Moreover, dispersal events were commonplace, particularly secondary dispersal (individuals emigrating from groups that they had previously immigrated into), which supports the suggestion that this may be an important component of the reproductive strategy of the mantled howler monkey. Finally, we found a marked effect of seasonality on the population dynamics of our study population. In particular, the period of lowest temperatures and resource scarcity between November and March was associated with higher mortality and reproductive inhibition, while the period of resource abundance between April and May was associated with the majority of conceptions and weaning of offspring. This, in turn, could be influencing dispersal patterns in our study area, as male howler monkeys seem to time some of their immigrations into new groups to coincide with the start of the period of higher fertility, while females preferentially joined new groups several months before the onset of this period.

Download Full-text

A demographic history of a population of howler monkeys (Alouatta palliata) living in a fragmented landscape in Mexico

PeerJ ◽

10.7717/peerj.3547 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 5 ◽

pp. e3547 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Jurgi Cristóbal Azkarate ◽

Jacob C. Dunn ◽

Cristina Domingo Balcells ◽

Joaquim Veà Baró

Keyword(s):

Demographic History ◽

Resource Scarcity ◽

Alouatta Palliata ◽

Howler Monkey ◽

Fragmented Landscape ◽

Howler Monkeys ◽

Mantled Howler ◽

Study Population ◽

Mantled Howler Monkeys

Long-term field studies are critical for our understanding of animal life history and the processes driving changes in demography. Here, we present long-term demographic data for the northernmost population of mantled howler monkeys (Alouatta palliata) residing in a highly anthropogenically fragmented landscape in Los Tuxtlas, Mexico. We carried out 454 monthly group visits to 10 groups of mantled howler monkeys between 2000 and 2011. The population remained relatively stable over the 11-year study period, with an overall increase in the total number of individuals. Birth rates and inter-birth intervals were comparable to those of howler monkeys at non-fragmented sites, suggesting that living in a fragmented landscape did not affect the reproductive output of our study population. Moreover, despite the landscape, dispersal events were commonplace, including many secondary dispersals (individuals emigrating from groups that they had previously immigrated into). Finally, we found a marked effect of seasonality on the dynamics of our study population. In particular, the period of lowest temperatures and resource scarcity between November and March was associated with higher mortality and reproductive inhibition, while the period of resource abundance between April and May was associated with the majority of conceptions and weaning of offspring. This, in turn, could be influencing dispersal patterns in our study area, as male howler monkeys seem to time some of their immigrations into new groups to coincide with the start of the period of higher fertility, while females preferentially joined new groups several months before the onset of this period. These data have important implications for the conservation and management of howler monkeys in fragmented landscapes, as well as for our understanding of the effect of seasonality over howler monkey dispersal, reproduction and survival.

Download Full-text

A ten-year demographic history of a population of howler monkeys (Alouatta palliata) living in a fragmented landscape in Mexico

10.7287/peerj.preprints.800 ◽

2015 ◽

Author(s):

Jurgi Cristóbal Azkarate ◽

Jacob Charles Dunn ◽

Cristina Domingo Balcells ◽

Joaquim Veà Baró

Keyword(s):

Demographic History ◽

Demographic Data ◽

Resource Scarcity ◽

Alouatta Palliata ◽

Howler Monkey ◽

Fragmented Landscape ◽

Howler Monkeys ◽

Mantled Howler ◽

Mantled Howler Monkey

Download Full-text

Interacting effects of forest fragmentation and howler monkey foraging on germination and disperal of fig seeds

Oryx ◽

10.1017/s0030605302000480 ◽

2002 ◽

Vol 36 (3) ◽

pp. 266-271 ◽

Cited By ~ 26

Author(s):

Juan Carlos Serio-Silva ◽

Victor Rico-Gray

Keyword(s):

Dispersal Distance ◽

Alouatta Palliata ◽

Howler Monkey ◽

Forest Fragment ◽

Howler Monkeys ◽

Conservation Policies ◽

Dispersal Distances ◽

Alouatta Palliata Mexicana ◽

Fragmented Forests ◽

Individual Trees

We studied changes in germination rates and dispersal distance of seeds of Ficus perforata and F. lundelli dispersed by howler monkeys (Alouatta palliata mexicana), in a small (40 ha) ‘disturbed’ and a larger (>600 ha) ‘preserved’ tropical rainforest in southern Veracruz, Mexico. The interaction between A. p. mexicana and Ficus (Urostigma) spp. is beneficial for the interacting species and has important implications for their conservation. Howler monkeys gain from the ingestion of an important food source, germination rates of Ficus seeds are improved by passage through the monkeys' digestive tract, and the seeds are more likely to be deposited in a site suitable for germination and development. Seed dispersal distances are relatively larger in the preserved site, with both the size of the forest area and the spatial pattern of Ficus affecting the dispersal process. In a large forest fragment with ‘regularly’ distributed Ficus individuals the howler monkeys move away from the seed source, increasing the probability that the seeds are desposited on a tree other than Ficus, which is important for the germination and future development of a hemiepiphytic species. In a small forest fragment with trees distributed in clumps howlers repeatedly use the same individual trees, and faeces containing seeds may be dropped on unsuitable trees more often. These are key issues when addressing conservation policies for fragmented forests.

Download Full-text

Quantitative Detection of Species-Specific DNA in Feedstuffs and Fish Meals

Journal of Food Protection ◽

10.4315/0362-028x-68.6.1217 ◽

2005 ◽

Vol 68 (6) ◽

pp. 1217-1221 ◽

Cited By ~ 27

Author(s):

PAVEL KRCMAR ◽

EVA RENCOVA

Keyword(s):

Mitochondrial Dna ◽

Real Time ◽

Dna Sequences ◽

Real Time Pcr ◽

Single Species ◽

Absolute Quantification ◽

Quantitative Detection ◽

Vertebrate Species ◽

Target Species ◽

Species Specific

A sensitive and rapid method for the quantitative detection of bovine-, ovine-, swine-, and chicken-specific mitochondrial DNA sequences based on real-time PCR has been developed. The specificity of the primers and probes for real-time PCR has been tested using DNA samples of other vertebrate species that may also be present in rendered products. The quantitative detection was performed with dual-labeled probes (TaqMan) using absolute quantification with external standards of single species meat-and-bone meals. This method facilitates the detection of 0.01% of the target species–derived material in concentrate feed mixtures and fish meals.

Download Full-text

The effect of energetic and psychosocial stressors on glucocorticoids in mantled howler monkeys (Alouatta palliata)

American Journal of Primatology ◽

10.1002/ajp.22240 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 76 (4) ◽

pp. 362-373 ◽

Cited By ~ 17

Author(s):

Erendira Gómez-Espinosa ◽

Ariadna Rangel-Negrín ◽

Roberto Chavira ◽

Domingo Canales-Espinosa ◽

Pedro Américo D. Dias

Keyword(s):

Alouatta Palliata ◽

Psychosocial Stressors ◽

Howler Monkeys ◽

Mantled Howler ◽

Mantled Howler Monkeys

Download Full-text

Observations of a Fight between Two Adult Male Mantled Howler Monkeys (Alouatta palliata)

Neotropical Primates ◽

10.1896/044.018.0108 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 18 (1) ◽

pp. 31-33

Author(s):

Christopher Meyer ◽

Orrey P. Young

Keyword(s):

Adult Male ◽

Alouatta Palliata ◽

Howler Monkeys ◽

Mantled Howler ◽

Mantled Howler Monkeys

Download Full-text

Cloth-Based Hybridization Array System for Expanded Identification of the Animal Species Origin of Derived Materials in Feeds

Journal of Food Protection ◽

10.4315/0362-028x-70.12.2900 ◽

2007 ◽

Vol 70 (12) ◽

pp. 2900-2905 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

JOHANNA MURPHY ◽

JENNIFER ARMOUR ◽

BURTON W. BLAIS

Keyword(s):

Mitochondrial Dna ◽

Dna Sequences ◽

Microscopic Examination ◽

Animal Species ◽

Specific Detection ◽

Animal Feeds ◽

Species Origin ◽

Pcr Products ◽

Species Specific ◽

Immunoenzymatic Assay

A cloth-based hybridization array system (CHAS) previously developed for the detection of animal species for which prohibited materials have been specified (cattle, sheep, goat, elk, and deer) has been expanded to include the detection of animal species for which there are no prohibitions (pig and horse) in Canadian and American animal feeds. Animal species were identified by amplification of mitochondrial DNA sequences by PCR and subsequent hybridization of the amplicons with an array of species-specific oligonucleotide capture probes immobilized on a polyester cloth support, followed by an immunoenzymatic assay of the bound PCR products. The CHAS permitted sensitive and specific detection of meat meals from different animal species blended in a grain-based feed and should provide a useful adjunct to microscopic examination for the identification of prohibited materials in animal feeds.

Download Full-text