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89 results for “house sparrow”
Data from: DNA methylation predicts immune gene expression in introduced house sparrows (Passer domesticus)
Populations undergoing range expansions are often faced with novel selective pressures, and to cope with such challenges, populations must either adapt quickly or exhibit phenotypic plasticity. This latter option allows for rapid phenotypic adjustments and persistence in novel environments, and thus could be advantageous at range‐edges. Our previous research on house sparrows in Kenya—a site of ongoing range expansion— and a growing literature suggests that invasion success is facilitated by epigenetic regulation of gene expression. Previously, we found (i) differences in the expression of a microbial surveillance gene (i.e. Toll‐like receptor 4—TLR4), and (ii) extensive variation in genome‐wide DNA methylation among house sparrows across Kenya. Here, our goal was to investigate whether these two observations are related, specifically whether DNA methylation within a target sequence upstream of the TLR4 transcription start site is associated with variation in TLR4 expression. We found that DNA methylation in the aforementioned region was quite variable among individuals, and variation at one CpG site predicted differences in TLR4 expression. Moreover, we found genetic variation within the same sequence upstream of the TLR4 exon, but this variation did not predict TLR4 expression. To our knowledge, this is the first study to demonstrate an association between DNA methylation and the expression of an ecologically relevant trait in a range‐expanding vertebrate.
Data from: A longitudinal genetic survey identifies temporal shifts in the population structure of Dutch house sparrows
Dutch house sparrow (Passer domesticus) densities dropped by nearly 50% since the early 1980s, and similar collapses in population sizes have been reported across Europe. Whether, and to what extent, such relatively recent demographic changes are accompanied by concomitant shifts in the genetic population structure of this species needs further investigation. Therefore, we here explore temporal shifts in genetic diversity, genetic structure and effective sizes of seven Dutch house sparrow populations. To allow the most powerful statistical inference, historical populations were resampled at identical locations and each individual bird was genotyped using nine polymorphic microsatellites. Although the demographic history was not reflected by a reduction in genetic diversity, levels of genetic differentiation increased over time, and the original, panmictic population (inferred from the museum samples) diverged into two distinct genetic clusters. Reductions in census size were supported by a substantial reduction in effective population size, although to a smaller extent. As most studies of contemporary house sparrow populations have been unable to identify genetic signatures of recent population declines, results of this study underpin the importance of longitudinal genetic surveys to unravel cryptic genetic patterns.
Data from: Range expansion of house sparrows (Passer domesticus) in Kenya: evidence of genetic admixture and human-mediated dispersal
Introduced species offer an opportunity to study the ecological process of range expansions. Recently, 3 mechanisms have been identified that may resolve the genetic paradox (the seemingly unlikely success of introduced species given the expected reduction in genetic diversity through bottlenecks or founder effects): multiple introductions, high propagule pressure, and epigenetics. These mechanisms are probably also important in range expansions (either natural or anthropogenic), yet this possibility remains untested in vertebrates. We used microsatellite variation (7 loci) in house sparrows (Passer domesticus), an introduced species that has been spreading across Kenya for ~60 years, to determine if patterns of variation could explain how this human commensal overcame the genetic paradox and expresses such considerable phenotypic differentiation across this new range. We note that in some cases, polygenic traits and epistasis among genes, for example, may not have negative effects on populations. House sparrows arrived in Kenya by a single introduction event (to Mombasa, ~1950) and have lower genetic diversity than native European and introduced North American populations. We used Bayesian clustering of individuals (n = 233) to detect that at least 2 types of range expansion occurred in Kenya: one with genetic admixture and one with little to no admixture. We also found that genetic diversity increased toward a range edge, and the range expansion was consistent with long-distance dispersal. Based on these data, we expect that the Kenyan range expansion was anthropogenically influenced, as the expansions of other introduced human commensals may also be.
Singing under glass: rapid effects of anthropogenic habitat modification on song and response behaviours in an isolated house sparrow (Passer domesticus) population
<p>Anthropogenic noise pollution and the introduction of novel infrastructure can impose strong selective pressures on avian communication by affecting the efficacy with which acoustic signals are transmitted and received. Many species have now been shown to sing at higher frequencies in noisy urban environments. However, few studies have investigated the effects of signal modification on the response behaviours of receivers, and fewer still have been able to indicate the timescale over which these changes in pitch have occurred. We compare vocal communication between house sparrows (Passer domesticus) that reside within the world's largest, single-span glasshouse (completed in the year 2000), and house sparrows directly outside this glasshouse, in open farmland. The glasshouse contrasts both acoustically and physically with the external environment, low frequency background noise being significantly louder inside than outside. We show that minimum song frequency was significantly higher inside the glasshouse than in surrounding farm habitat. Using song playback, we also found that birds within the glasshouse reacted more strongly to playbacks from the glasshouse habitat than they did to playback of song from farm birds outside. The degree of difference in frequency is similar to that shown for other bird species between urban and rural environments, demonstrating that such behavioural differences may arise over a relatively short time period (14 years in this case)</p>
Data from: Epigenetic and genetic variation among three separate introductions of the house sparrow (Passer domesticus) into Australia
Invasive populations are often associated with low levels of genetic diversity due to population bottlenecks at the initial stages of invasion. Despite this, the ability of invasive species to adapt rapidly in response to novel environments is well documented. Epigenetic mechanisms have recently been proposed to facilitate the success of invasive species by compensating for reduced levels of genetic variation. Here, we use MS-AFLP and microsatellite analyses to compare levels of epigenetic and genetic diversity and differentiation across 15 sites in the introduced Australian house sparrow population. We find patterns of epigenetic and genetic differentiation that are consistent with historical descriptions of three distinct, introductions events. However unlike genetic differentiation, epigenetic differentiation was higher among sample sites than among invasion clusters, suggesting that patterns of epigenetic variation are more strongly influenced by local environmental stimuli or sequential founder events than the initial diversity in the introduction population. Interestingly, we fail to detect correlations between pairwise site comparisons of epigenetic and genetic differentiation, suggesting that some of the observed epigenetic variation has arisen independently of genetic variation. We also fail to detect the potentially compensatory relationship between epigenetic and genetic diversity that has been detected in a more recent house sparrow invasion in Africa. We discuss the potential for this relationship to be obscured by recovered genetic diversity in more established populations, and highlight the importance of incorporating introduction history into population-wide epigenetic analyses.
Data from: Does the house sparrow Passer domesticus represent a global model species for egg rejection behavior?
Conspecific brood parasitism (CP) is a facultative breeding tactic whereby females lay their eggs in the nests of conspecifics. In some species, potential host individuals have evolved the ability to identify and reject foreign eggs from their nest. Previous studies suggest that the ubiquitous House Sparrow Passer domesticus in Spain and South Africa employs both CP and parasitic egg rejection, while a population in China does not. Given the species' invasive range expansions, the House Sparrow represents a potentially excellent global model system for egg rejection across variable ecological conditions. The present study examines House Sparrow responses to experimental parasitism at three geographically distinct locations (in Israel, North America, and New Zealand) to provide a robust test of how general the findings of the previous studies are. In all three geographic regions egg rejection rates were negligible and not statistically different from background rates of disappearance of control eggs, suggesting that the House Sparrow is not a suitable model species for egg rejection experiments on a global scale.
Data from: Individual variation in cone photoreceptor density in house sparrows: implications for between-individual differences in visual resolution and chromatic contrast
Between-individual variation has been documented in a wide variety of taxa, especially for behavioral characteristics; however, intra-population variation in sensory systems has not received similar attention in wild animals. We measured a key trait of the visual system, the density of retinal cone photoreceptors, in a wild population of house sparrows (Passer domesticus). We tested whether individuals differed from each other in cone densities given within-individual variation across the retina and across eyes. We further tested whether the existing variation could lead to individual differences in two aspects of perception: visual resolution and chromatic contrast. We found consistent between-individual variation in the densities of all five types of avian cones, involved in chromatic and achromatic vision. Using perceptual modeling, we found that this degree of variation translated into significant between-individual differences in visual resolution and the chromatic contrast of a plumage signal that has been associated with mate choice and agonistic interactions. However, there was no evidence for a relationship between individual visual resolution and chromatic contrast. The implication is that some birds may have the sensory potential to perform "better" in certain visual tasks, but not necessarily in both resolution and contrast simultaneously. Overall, our findings (a) highlight the need to consider multiple individuals when characterizing sensory traits of a species, and (b) provide some mechanistic basis for between-individual variation in different behaviors (i.e., animal personalities) and for testing the predictions of several widely accepted hypotheses (e.g., honest signaling).
Data from: Heterozygosity predicts clutch and egg size but not plasticity in a house sparrow population with no evidence of inbreeding
We investigated the link between heterozygosity and the reaction norm attributes of reproductive performance in female house sparrows (Passer domesticus). We collected data on clutch size, egg size, hatching success, and nestling survival in 2 816 nesting attempts made by 791 marked individuals over a 16 year period. Pedigree analysis revealed no evidence of inbreeding. Neither parent-offspring regression nor an animal model revealed significant heritability in clutch or egg size. We selected 42 females that laid at least seven clutches at our study site and used a survey of 21 autosomal microsatellite loci to estimate heterozygosity for each female. We controlled for phenotypic plasticity and found that both clutch and egg size showed significant positive correlations with heterozygosity. We found no evidence that heterozygosity influenced the slope of individual reaction norms. Further analysis suggested that clutch size was affected by heterozygosity across the genome, but egg size had more complex relationships, with evidence favoring the influence of multiple loci. Given the apparent lack of inbreeding and large population size, our results suggest associative overdominance as the likely mechanism for the impact of heterozygosity, but also created a puzzle about the process producing associations between neutral markers and the genes affecting clutch size or egg size. One possible explanation is a long term residual effect of the historical bottleneck that occurred when house sparrows were introduced into North America. The existence of HFCs in a population with considerable phenotypic plasticity and little inbreeding implies that the effects of heterozygosity may be more significant than previously thought.
FIGURE 4 in Two new quill mite species of the family Syringophilidae (Acari: Prostigmata) parasitising the house sparrow Passer domesticus (L.) (Aves: Passeriformes)
FIGURE 4. Krantziaulonastus dubinini sp. nov., female. A, dorsal view; B, ventral view; C, fan-like seta p'III.
FIGURE 2 in Two new quill mite species of the family Syringophilidae (Acari: Prostigmata) parasitising the house sparrow Passer domesticus (L.) (Aves: Passeriformes)
FIGURE 2. Picobia passeri sp. nov., female. A, hypostomal apex; B, peritreme; C, propodonotal seta ve; D, tarsus of leg III in ventral view; E, genito-anal region in ventral view; F, solenidia of leg I; G, movable cheliceral digit.
Data from: Epigenetic potential and DNA methylation in an ongoing House Sparrow (Passer domesticus) range expansion
During range expansions, organisms can use epigenetic mechanisms to adjust to conditions in novel areas by altering gene expression and enabling phenotypic plasticity. Here, we predicted that the number of CpG sites within the genome, one form of epigenetic potential, would be important for successful range expansions because DNA methylation can modulate gene expression, and consequently plasticity. We asked how the number of CpG sites and DNA methylation varied across five locations in the ~70 year-old Kenyan house sparrow ( Passer domesticus ) range expansion. We found that the number of CpG sites was highest towards the vanguard of the invasion and decreased towards the range core. Analysis suggests that this pattern may have been driven by selection, favoring birds with more CpG sites at the range edge. However, we cannot rule out other processes including non-random gene flow. Additionally, DNA methylation did not change across the range expansion, nor was it more variable. We hypothesize that as new areas are colonized, epigenetic potential may be selectively advantageous early but eventually be replaced by less plastic and perhaps genetically-canalized traits as populations adapt to local conditions. While further work is needed on epigenetic potential, this form (CpG number) appears to be a promising mechanism to investigate as a driver of expansions via capacitated phenotypic plasticity in other natural and anthropogenic range expansions.
House sparrows use learned information selectively based on whether reward is hidden or visible
<p>The dataset contains two files containing the number of visits made by each bird in each of the well types, out of the first 15 visits in each test (one file for Experiment 1 and another for Experiment 2). An additional file contains our handling time samples for each of the treatments used in experiment 1 (exposed, hidden and "wrapped").</p>
Seed dispersal by the cosmopolitan house sparrow widen the spectrum of unexpected endozoochory by granivore birds
<p>Presence of seeds from different plant species found in the droppings of the house sparrow (<em>Passer domesticus</em>) and their viability determined by the tetrazolium test.</p>
Spatial structure and dispersal dynamics in a house sparrow metapopulation
<p>1. The effects of spatial structure on metapopulation dynamics depend upon the interaction between local population dynamics and dispersal, and how this relationship is affected by the geographical isolation and spatial heterogeneity in habitat characteristics.</p> <p>2. Our aim is to examine how emigration and immigration of house sparrows, <i>Passer domesticus</i>, in a Norwegian archipelagic metapopulation are affected by key factors predicted by classic metapopulation models to affect dispersal: spatial and temporal variation in population size, inter-island distance, local demography and habitat characteristics.</p> <p>3. This metapopulation can be divided into two major habitat types: (1) islands closer to the mainland where sparrows breed in colonies on farms, and (2) islands without farms, situated farther away from the mainland where sparrows are exposed to harsher environmental conditions.</p> <p>4. Dispersal was spatially structured within the metapopulation; there was proportionally and numerically less emigration and immigration involving farm islands, as compared to non-farm islands. Furthermore, emigration and immigration occurred mostly between nearby islands. Moreover, emigration in response to spatial differences in mean population size differed between the habitat types, but populations with large mean received more immigrants in both habitat types. The number of emigrants and immigrants was negatively related to long-term recruit production, which was not the case in non-farm islands. The proportion and number of emigrants was positively related to temporal increases in recruit production on farm islands, however, not on non-farm islands.</p> <p>5. Our results demonstrate that spatial heterogeneity in environmental conditions influences how spatial variation in long-term mean population size, and temporal and spatial variation in recruit production, affects dispersal dynamics. The spatial structure of this metapopulation is therefore best described by a spatially explicit model in which the exchange of individuals within each habitat type is strongly affected by the degree of geographical isolation, population size and recruit production. However, these relationships differed between the two habitat types, with the non-farm islands showing similarities to a mainland-island model type of structure, whereas dispersal on the farm islands showed features more associated with source-sink or balanced dispersal models. Such differential dispersal dynamics between habitat types is expected to have important consequences for the ecological and evolutionary dynamics within this metapopulation.</p>
Data from: Does the house sparrow Passer domesticus represent a global model species for egg rejection behavior?
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Data from: Spatial heterogeneity in genetic relatedness among house sparrows along an urban-rural gradient as revealed by individual-based analysis
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Data from: Epigenetic and genetic variation among three separate introductions of the house sparrow (Passer domesticus) into Australia
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House sparrows use learned information selectively based on whether reward is hidden or visible
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Data from: Intracellular glucocorticoid receptors in spleen, but not skin, vary seasonally in wild house sparrows (Passer domesticus)
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Data from: Individual variation in cone photoreceptor density in house sparrows: implications for between-individual differences in visual resolution and chromatic contrast
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