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89 results for “house sparrow”
Eurasian tree sparrows are more food neophobic and habituate to novel objects more slowly than house sparrows
<p>Introductions of non-native species throughout the world have had severe ecological consequences. However, most research has focused on environmental and ecological factors that allow for introduced species to succeed and become invasive, with fewer studies assessing the roles of behavioural and cognitive traits. To help fill this knowledge gap, we studied neophobia, an aversion towards novelty, in the non-native Eurasian tree sparrow (<em>Passer montanus</em>), and compared results to previous work in a more successful invasive congener, the house sparrow (<em>Passer domesticus</em>). We assessed the neophobia of wild-caught Eurasian tree sparrows by measuring their responses to novel objects and novel foods and their ability to habituate to initially novel objects. We predicted that Eurasian tree sparrows, as less successful invaders, would overall be more neophobic than house sparrows. Although we did not observe differences in neophobia towards novel objects in the two species, Eurasian tree sparrows were significantly less willing to try novel foods than house sparrows. Eurasian tree sparrows were also slower to habituate to repeated presentations of the same initially novel object compared to house sparrows. Multiple factors certainly influence invasion success, but our results suggest that neophobia might limit the success of an introduced species in novel environments.</p>
Data from: Only rare classical MHC-I alleles are highly expressed in the European house sparrow
<p>The exceptional polymorphism observed within genes of the major histocompatibility complex (MHC), a core component of the vertebrate immune system, has long fascinated biologists. The highly polymorphic <em>classical</em> MHC class-I (MHC-I) genes are maintained by pathogen-mediated balancing selection (PMBS), as shown by many sites subject to positive selection, while the more monomorphic MHC-I genes show signatures of purifying selection. In line with PMBS, at any point in time, rare classical MHC alleles are more likely than common classical MHC alleles to confer a selective advantage in host-pathogen interactions. Combining genomic and expression data from the blood of wild house sparrows <em>Passer domesticus</em>, we found that only rare classical MHC-I alleles were highly expressed, while common classical MHC-I alleles were lowly expressed or not expressed. Moreover, highly expressed rare classical MHC-I alleles had more positively selected sites, indicating exposure to stronger PMBS, compared with lowly expressed classical alleles. As predicted, the level of expression was unrelated to allele frequency in the monomorphic non-classical MHC-I alleles. Going beyond previous studies, we offer a fine-scale view of selection on classical MHC-I genes in a wild population by revealing differences in the strength of PMBS according to allele frequency and expression level.</p>
Data and code for: No evidence of metabolic costs following adaptive immune activation or reactivation in house sparrows
<p>We examined the energetic costs of immune activation by measuring both basal (BMR) and exercise-induced maximal metabolic rates (MMR) in house sparrows before and after being injected with either saline (sham) or two novel antigens (keyhole limpet haemocyanin and sheep red blood cells; KLH and SRBC, respectively) after the primary and two subsequent vaccinations. We also examined the effect of experimentally-induced breeding levels of testosterone (T) on immune responses and their metabolic costs in both males and females. </p>
Fig. 2. Neighbor-joining phylogenetic tree for a 219 in Prevalence of filarioid nematodes and trypanosomes in American robins and house sparrows, Chicago USA
Fig. 2. Neighbor-joining phylogenetic tree for a 219 bp region of the trypanosome 18s rRNA gene. Underlined sequences are from this study. Sequences for additional Trypanosoma spp. were downloaded from NCBI Genbank for comparison and Bodo caudatus was used as an outgroup. Numbers by branches indicate statistical bootstrap support of À50%.
Fig. 1. Neighbor-joining phylogenetic trees for a 475 in Prevalence of filarioid nematodes and trypanosomes in American robins and house sparrows, Chicago USA
Fig. 1. Neighbor-joining phylogenetic trees for a 475 bp region of the 18S rRNA gene for filarioid nematodes (A) and a 529 bp region of the filarial nematode mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I gene (B). Sequences were obtained from bird blood clots, bird tissues, or adult nematodes recovered from birds. Underlined sequences are from this study. Additional sequences for filarial nematode species were downloaded from NCBI Genbank for comparison and Thelazia lacrimalis and Caenorhabditis elegans were used as outgroups. Numbers by branches indicate statistical bootstrap support of À50%.
Data from: Dispersal in a house sparrow metapopulation: an integrative case study of genetic assignment calibrated with ecological data and pedigree information
<p class="western">Dispersal has a crucial role determining eco-evolutionary dynamics through both gene flow and population size regulation. However, to study dispersal and its consequences, one must distinguish immigrants from residents. Dispersers can be identified using telemetry, capture-mark-recapture (CMR) methods, or genetic assignment methods. All of these methods have disadvantages, such as, high costs and substantial field efforts needed for telemetry and CMR surveys, and adequate genetic distance required in genetic assignment. In this study, we used genome-wide 200K Single Nucleotide Polymorphism data and two different genetic assignment approaches (GSI_SIM, Bayesian framework; BONE, network-based estimation) to identify the dispersers in a house sparrow (<i>Passer domesticus</i>) metapopulation sampled over 16 years. Our results showed higher assignment accuracy with BONE. Hence, we proceeded to diagnose potential sources of errors in the assignment results from the BONE method due to variation in levels of inter-population genetic differentiation, intra-population genetic variation and sample size. We show that assignment accuracy is high even at low levels of genetic differentiation and that it increases with the proportion of a population that has been sampled. Finally, we highlight that dispersal studies integrating both ecological and genetic data provide robust assessments of the dispersal patterns in natural populations.</p>
Data and code for: No evidence of metabolic costs following adaptive immune activation or reactivation in house sparrows
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Data from: Only rare classical MHC-I alleles are highly expressed in the European house sparrow
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Gut microbiome of house sparrows during experimental Plasmodium relictum infection
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Microbial surveillance verses cytokine responsiveness in native and non-native house sparrows
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Data from: Eurasian tree sparrows are more food neophobic and habituate to novel objects more slowly than house sparrows
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Data from: Dispersal in a house sparrow metapopulation: an integrative case study of genetic assignment calibrated with ecological data and pedigree information
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Data from: The genetic architecture of recombination rates is polygenic and differs between the sexes in wild house sparrows (Passer domesticus)
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Data from: Resistance to gapeworm parasite has both additive and dominant genetic components in house sparrows, with evolutionary consequences for ability to respond to parasite challenge
<p>Host parasite relationships are likely to change over the coming decades in response to climate change and increased anthropogenic stressors. Understanding the genetic architecture of parasite resistance will aid prediction of species' responses to intensified parasite challenge. The gapeworm "Syngamus trachea" is prevalent in natural bird populations and causes symptomatic infections ranging from mild to severe. The parasite may affect ecological processes by curtailing bird populations and is important due to its propensity to spread to commercially farmed birds. Our large scale dataset on an insular house sparrow metapopulation in northern Norway includes information on gapeworm prevalence and infection intensity, allowing assessment of the genetics of parasite resistance in a natural system. To determine whether parasite resistance has a heritable genetic component, we performed variance component analyses using animal models. Resistance to gapeworm had substantial additive genetic and dominance variance, and genome wide association studies to identify SNPs associated with gapeworm resistance yielded multiple loci linked to immune function. Together with genome partitioning results, this indicates that resistance to gapeworm is under polygenic control in the house sparrow, and likely in other bird species. Hence, our results provide the foundation needed to study any eco-evolutionary processes related to gapeworm infection, and show that it is necessary to use methods suitable for polygenic and non-additive genetic effects on the phenotype.</p>
Data from: Consistent scaling of inbreeding depression in space and time in a house sparrow metapopulation
<p>Inbreeding may increase the extinction risk of small populations. Yet, studies using modern genomic tools to investigate inbreeding depression in nature have been limited to single populations, and little is known about the dynamics of inbreeding depression in subdivided populations over time. Natural populations often experience different environmental conditions and differ in demographic history and genetic composition; characteristics that can affect the severity of inbreeding depression. We utilised extensive long-term data on more than 3100 individuals from eight islands in an insular house sparrow metapopulation to examine the generality of inbreeding effects. Using genomic<sub> </sub>estimates of realised inbreeding, we discovered that inbred individuals had lower survival probabilities and produced fewer recruiting offspring than non-inbred individuals. Inbreeding depression, measured as the decline in fitness related traits per unit inbreeding, did not vary appreciably among populations or with time. As a consequence, populations with more resident inbreeding (due to their demographic history) paid a higher total fitness cost, evidenced by a larger variance in fitness explained by inbreeding within these populations. Our results are in contrast to the idea that effects of inbreeding generally depend on ecological factors and genetic differences among populations, and expand the understanding of inbreeding depression in natural subdivided populations.</p>
No, you go first: phenotype and social context affect house sparrow neophobia
<p>Novel object trials are commonly used to assess aversion to novelty (neophobia), and previous work has shown neophobia can be influenced by the social environment, but whether the altered behaviour persists afterwards (social learning) is largely unknown in wild animals. We assessed house sparrow (<i>Passer domesticus</i>) novel object responses before, during, and after being paired with a conspecific of either similar or different behavioral phenotype. During paired trials, animals housed with a similar or more neophobic partner demonstrated an increased aversion to novel objects. This change did not persist a week after unpairing, but neophobia decreased after unpairing in birds previously housed with a less neophobic partner. We also compared novel object responses to non-object control trials to validate our experimental procedure. Our results provide evidence of social learning in a highly successful invasive species, and an interesting asymmetry in the effects of social environment on neophobia behavior depending on the animal's initial behavioral phenotype.</p>
Data from: Innate and adaptive immune proteins in the preen gland secretions of male house sparrows
<p>Recent studies have demonstrated that preen oil acts to reduce or eliminate feather-associated bacteria. The mechanisms underlying this antibacterial activity, however, are incompletely understood. In addition to the activity of alcohols (i.e. 3,7-dimethyloctan-1-ol), recent research has suggested that antimicrobial peptides may underlie the antibacterial activity of preen oil. Here, we document the presence of innate and adaptive immune proteins, lysozyme and immunoglobulin Y (IgY), in the preen oil of house sparrows (<i>Passer domesticus</i>). We suggest lysozyme functions as an antimicrobial agent, with potentially important impacts against Gram-positive feather degrading bacteria. Furthermore, both lysozyme and IgY likely act in local immune defence of the preen gland, and may also play a role in regulating the local microbiome, with potentially important consequences for chemical communication and signalling. Our findings suggest that the preen gland and its secretions should be considered an integral part of the body's first line of defence against invading infections.</p>
Data from: Characterizing morphological (co)variation using structural equation models: body size, allometric relationships and evolvability in a house sparrow metapopulation
Body size plays a key role in the ecology and evolution of all organisms. Therefore, quantifying the sources of morphological (co)variation, dependent and independent of body size, is of key importance when trying to understand and predict responses to selection. We combine structural equation modeling with quantitative genetics analyses to study morphological (co)variation in a meta-population of house sparrows (Passer domesticus). As expected, we found evidence of a latent variable 'body size', causing genetic and environmental covariation between morphological traits. Estimates of conditional evolvability show that allometric relationships constrain the independent evolution of house sparrow morphology. We also found spatial differences in general body size and its allometric relationships. On islands where birds are more dispersive and mobile, individuals were smaller and had proportionally longer wings for their body size. While in islands where sparrows are more sedentary and nest in dense colonies, individuals were larger and had proportionally longer tarsi for their body size. We corroborated these results using simulations and show that our analyses produce unbiased allometric slope estimates. This study highlights that in the short term allometric relationships may constrain phenotypic evolution, but that in the long term selection pressures can also shape allometric relationships.
Data from: Costs of immunity and their role in the range expansion of the house sparrow in Kenya
There are at least two reasons to study traits that mediate successful range expansions. First, dispersers will found new populations and thus impact the distribution and evolution of species. Second, organisms moving into new areas will influence the fate of resident communities, directly competing with or indirectly affecting residents by spreading non-native or spilling-back native parasites. The success of invaders in new areas is likely mediated by a counterbalancing of costly traits. In new areas where threats are comparatively rare, individuals that grow rapidly and breed prolifically should be at an advantage. High investment in defenses should thus be disfavored. In the present study, we compared the energetic, nutritional and collateral damage costs of an inflammatory response among Kenyan house sparrow (Passer domesticus) populations of different ages, asking whether costs were related to traits of individuals from three different capture sites. Kenya is among the world's most recent range expansions for this species, and we recently found that the expression of Toll-like receptors (TLRs), leukocyte receptors that instigate inflammatory responses when bound to microbial elements, was related to the range expansion across the country. Here, we found (contrary to our expectations) that energetic and nutritional costs of inflammation were higher, but damage costs were lower, in range-edge compared with core birds. Moreover, at the individual level, TLR-4 expression was negatively related to commodity costs (energy and a critical amino acid) of inflammation. Our data thus suggest that costs of inflammation, perhaps mediated by TLR expression, might mitigate successful range expansions.
Divorce and extra-pair paternity in the Lundy house sparrows
<p>The question of why socially monogamous females engage in extra-pair behaviour is long-standing in evolutionary biology. Due to a lack of empirical support among passerine birds, recent work has moved away from the indirect-benefits hypothesis to explain extra-pair mating behaviour by females, instead favouring the hypothesis that this is the result of a pleiotropic effect. That is, <span>a trait under strong positive selection in either or both sexes are genetically linked with another, potentially unrelated, trait. For example, genes beneficial to female fecundity (that promote within-pair solicitation of mating from a male partner) might also lead to extra-pair behaviour (by also promoting solicited copulations from extra-pair males). </span>Here, we test two predictions from this hypothesis: We test the prediction that female divorce, measured as the number of social mates within a given year, is linked with (1) the number of extra-pair males engaged by the female and (2) the proportion of the female's offspring that are extra-pair. Our results show that females who divorce their social partner are more likely to produce extra-pair offspring than those who maintain social monogamy, supporting the pleiotropy hypothesis. However, those females did not also have a higher proportion of extra-pair offspring. The number of broods initiated was also positively correlated with the number of extra-pair males that sired a female's offspring, probably through increased opportunity for extra-pair males to sire offspring over a longer breeding season. Our results support the intrasexual pleiotropy hypothesis as a driver of female extra-pair behaviour.</p>
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Allen Brain Atlas
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Annotated Behaviour and Observability Dataset (ABODe)
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DANDI Archive for NWB datasets
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International Brain Laboratory public data
The International Brain Laboratory public data releases expose standardized mouse decision-making experiments, including Neuropixels recordings, widefield calcium imaging, behavior, and session metadata accessed through the ONE API.
OpenNeuro
OpenNeuro is a free, open platform for sharing neuroimaging datasets, with public search, dataset pages, and download paths for web, S3, DataLad, and the OpenNeuro CLI.