Publications

oil pollution increases plasma antioxidants but reduces coloration in a seabird.	it has been suggested that condition-dependent signals may be a useful measure of environmental quality. in this study, we tested the hypothesis that oil pollution enhances oxidative stress and impairs expression of a carotenoid-based signal in a wild population of the yellow-legged gull (larus michahellis). during the courtship period, a group of gulls were fed a supplementary diet containing heavy fuel oil from the prestige oil spill and were compared with control gulls fed a similar supplemen ...	2010	20532916
sublethal effects on seabirds after the prestige oil-spill are mirrored in sexual signals.	it has been suggested that sexual signals may be a useful measure of environmental quality as they represent the sum of environmental pressures on the animal. accordingly, it has been proposed that carotenoid-based coloration may be especially valuable in monitoring and detecting the sublethal effects of toxic pollutants in the environment. here, we evaluate whether the carotenoid-based coloration in the bill of adult yellow-legged gulls reflects oil-induced sublethal effects in breeding colonie ...	2010	19726443
evaluating cleansing effects on trace elements and stable isotope values in feathers of oiled birds.	feathers of seabirds are widely used as a nondestructive tissue for pollution monitoring of trace elements, as well as convenient samples for trophic ecology studies by means of stable isotope analysis (sia). nevertheless, feathers can be occasionally impregnated with oil from deliberate ship discharges and from massive oil spill accidents. the feather structure makes them effective traps for particles and are subject to external contamination. it is unknown to what extent the oil adhered to fea ...	2010	19731016
effectiveness of a varied assemblage of seed dispersers of a fleshy-fruited plant.	disperser effectiveness is the number of new plants resulting from the activity of one disperser relative to other dispersers or to nondispersed seeds. effectiveness remains largely uninvestigated due to the complexity of its measurement. we measured the effectiveness of seed dispersers (larus michahellis, turdus merula, and oryctolagus cuniculus) of the shrub corema album (empetraceae) using a simulation model of the recruitment process that was parameterized with field data of seed dispersal, ...	2009	20120817
families on the spot: sexual signals influence parent-offspring interactions.	in 1950, tinbergen described the elicitation of offspring begging by the red spot on the bill of parent gulls, and this became a model system for behavioural studies. current knowledge on colour traits suggests they can act as sexual signals revealing individual quality. however, sexual signals have never been studied simultaneously in relationship to parent-offspring and sexual conflicts. we manipulated the red-spot size in one member of yellow-legged gull pairs and observed their partners' fee ...	2009	19364749
dissemination of escherichia coli with ctx-m type esbl between humans and yellow-legged gulls in the south of france.	extended spectrum beta-lactamase (esbl) producing enterobacteriaceae started to appear in the 1980s, and have since emerged as some of the most significant hospital-acquired infections with escherichia coli and klebsiella being main players. more than 100 different esbl types have been described, the most widespread being the ctx-m beta-lactamase enzymes (bla(ctx-m) genes). this study focuses on the zoonotic dissemination of esbl bacteria, mainly ctx-m type, in the southern coastal region of fra ...	2009	19536298
antimicrobial resistance and phylogenetic groups in isolates of escherichia coli from seagulls at the berlengas nature reserve.	fifty-three faecal samples from yellow-legged gulls (larus cachinnans) at the berlengas nature reserve in portugal were cultured on levine agar plates not supplemented with antimicrobial agents, and one escherichia coli colony was isolated and identified from each sample. the percentages of resistant isolates for each of the drugs were ampicillin (43.4 per cent), tetracycline (39.6 per cent), nalidixic acid (34.0 per cent), streptomycin (32.1 per cent), trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (sxt) (26.4 ...	2009	19648638
ultraviolet photopigment sensitivity and ocular media transmittance in gulls, with an evolutionary perspective.	gulls (laridae excluding sternidae) appear to be the only shorebirds (charadriiformes) that have a short wavelength sensitive type 1 (sws1) cone pigment opsin tuned to ultraviolet (uv) instead of violet. however, the apparent uv-sensitivity has only been inferred indirectly, via the interpretation that the presence of cysteine at the key amino acid position 90 in the sws1 opsin confers uv sensitivity. unless the cornea and the lens efficiently transmit uv to the retina, gulls might in effect be ...	2009	19308422
maternal allocation strategies and differential effects of yolk carotenoids on the phenotype and viability of yellow-legged gull (larus michahellis) chicks in relation to sex and laying order.	egg quality may mediate maternal allocation strategies according to progeny sex. in vertebrates, carotenoids have important physiological roles during embryonic and post-natal life, but the consequences of variation in yolk carotenoids for offspring phenotype in oviparous species are largely unknown. in yellow-legged gulls, yolk carotenoids did not vary with embryo sex in combination with egg laying date, order and mass. yolk lutein supplementation enhanced the growth of sons from first eggs but ...	2008	18713240
living in a ghetto within a local population: an empirical example of an ideal despotic distribution.	merging patterns and processes about the way individuals should be distributed in a habitat is a key issue in the framework of spatial ecology. here the despotic distribution of individuals in two distinct and neighboring patches within a local population of a long-lived colonial bird, the yellow-legged gull (larus michahellis), was assessed. there was no density dependence for suitable habitat at the study population, but behavioral data suggested that birds from the good patch precluded birds ...	2008	18459346
monitoring polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon pollution in the marine environment after the prestige oil spill by means of seabird blood analysis.	in this study we tested the use of seabird blood as a bioindicator of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (pah) pollution in the marine environment. blood cells of breeding yellow-legged gulls (larus michahellis) were able to track spatial and temporal changes consistent with the massive oil pollution pulse that resulted from the prestige oil spill. thus, in 2004, blood samples from yellow-legged gulls breeding in colonies that were in the trajectory of the spill doubled in theirtotal pah concentrat ...	2008	18323091
phenotypic correlates of yolk and plasma carotenoid concentration in yellow-legged gull chicks.	abstract carotenoids perform important biological actions in animal tissues, including contributing antioxidant protection. however, the function of transmission of maternal carotenoids to bird eggs is still largely unknown. we made a yolk biopsy of yellow-legged gull (larus michahellis) eggs and found that the concentration of lutein declined with laying date and across the laying order and increased with egg mass. the concentration of all the main carotenoids (lutein, zeaxanthin, and dehydrolu ...	2008	18211250
effects of acute exposure to heavy fuel oil from the prestige spill on a seabird.	large quantities of petroleum products are released into the marine environment as result of tanker wrecks. such catastrophic events have a dramatic impact on marine ecosystems, affecting a broad range of species. seabirds are placed at the uppermost trophic level of the marine food chain. therefore, important toxic effects are expected in these organisms. the recent prestige oil spill gave the opportunity to test this. a previous study reported that yellow-legged gulls (larus michahellis) breed ...	2007	17631973
sublethal toxicity of the prestige oil spill on yellow-legged gulls.	the prestige oil spill in november 2002 is considered the biggest large-scale catastrophe of its type in europe, thousands of seabirds dying in the subsequent months. here, the total concentration of 16 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (tpah) was measured in the blood cell fraction of adult and chick yellow-legged gulls (larus michahellis) from unoiled and oiled coastal areas in north western spain. in addition, hematocrit, plasma metabolites, electrolytes and enzymes, as well as body mass were ...	2007	17383727
early maternal, genetic and environmental components of antioxidant protection, morphology and immunity of yellow-legged gull (larus michahellis) chicks.	maternal effects mediated by egg quality are important sources of offspring phenotypic variation and can influence the course of evolutionary processes. mothers allocate to the eggs diverse antioxidants that protect the embryo from oxidative stress. in the yellow-legged gull (larus michahellis), yolk antioxidant capacity varied markedly among clutches and declined considerably with egg laying date. analysis of bioptic yolk samples from clutches that were subsequently partially cross-fostered rev ...	2006	16910986
effects of elevated yolk androgens on perinatal begging behavior in yellow-legged gull (larus michahellis) chicks.	maternal hormones may represent an important pathway by which mothers can adaptively adjust offspring traits and performance to suit the prevailing environmental conditions. earlier studies of birds have shown that egg androgens of maternal origin may enhance post-natal offspring 'begging' displays, functioning to solicit parental care. here we investigate the effects of elevated egg androgen levels on the prenatal begging behavior of yellow-legged gull (larus michahellis) chicks. at laying, we ...	2006	16842788
influence of host age and sex on the helminth fauna of the yellow-legged gull (larus michahellis) in galicia (northwestern spain).	we studied the influence of host age and sex on the helminth fauna of 324 larus michahellis captured in different locations in the region of galicia (northwestern spain). gulls were grouped into prefledglings, first-year immature birds, second- and third-year immature birds, and adults. second-year, third-year, and adult birds were grouped by sex. thirty-six helminth species were recorded. total species richness and mean infracommunity species richness were both significantly lower for pre-fledg ...	2006	16883985
helminth fauna of the yellow-legged gull larus cachinnans in galicia, north-west spain.	thirty-six helminth species were found in 324 gulls examined during june 1994 to february 1996 from different localities of galicia: 25 trematodes (brachylaima sp., brachylecithum microtesticulatum, cardiocephaloides longicollis, cryptocotyle lingua, cryptocotyle concavum, diplostomum spathaceum, echinostephilla virgula, galactosomum phalacrocoracis, gigantobilharzia acotylea, gymnophallus deliciosus, gynaecotyla longiintestinata, himasthla elongata, himasthla quissetensis, knipowitschiatrema ni ...	2005	16336721
effects of elevated egg corticosterone levels on behavior, growth, and immunity of yellow-legged gull (larus michahellis) chicks.	eggs of vertebrates contain steroid hormones of maternal origin that may influence offspring performance. recently, it has been shown that glucocorticoids, which are the main hormones mediating the stress response in vertebrates, are transmitted from the mother to the egg in birds. in addition, mothers with experimentally elevated corticosterone levels lay eggs with larger concentrations of the hormone, which produce slow growing offspring with high activity of the hypothalamo-adrenal axis under ...	2005	15811362
age-dependent changes in plasma biochemistry of yellow-legged gulls (larus cachinnans).	the study of avian plasma chemistry is providing useful reference values for the management of endangered and game species, supporting veterinarians in their diagnostics, and also bringing to light relevant physiological adaptations during periods of food-shortage. age is an important source of variability for plasma chemistry. here i report plasma chemistry of yellow-legged gulls larus cachinnans from different ages, between post-independence and adulthood, a 5-year interval. increase in plasma ...	2005	15936712
a biochemical study of fasting, subfeeding, and recovery processes in yellow-legged gulls.	an investigation of the effects of fasting, subfeeding, and refeeding on plasma biochemistry was carried out on 22 captive yellow-legged gulls larus cachinnans pallas. these birds showed the same fasting endurance model described in other species, but with an important decrease in glucose plasma concentration and very great differences between individuals when reaching the deterioration limit, suggesting a moderate physiological adaptation to long periods of fasting. a different model was propos ...	2005	11517455
organochlorine contaminants in eggs of the yellow-legged gull (larus cachinnans michahellis) in the north eastern mediterranean: is this gull a suitable biomonitor for the region?	levels of eight pcb congeners and thirteen organochlorine pesticides were measured in eggs sampled at four yellow-legged gull colonies from the aegean sea (northeastern mediterranean) in 1997. there were no significant differences among colony areas in the median concentrations in any of the pollutants whereas cluster analyses did not generally reveal reasonable pollution patterns. the maximum concentrations of four congeners were found at kinaros colony and of nine compounds were found at lipso ...	2003	12927495
the effects of testosterone manipulation on the body condition of captive male yellow-legged gulls.	persistently high testosterone levels are believed to be costly to males due to their negative effect on body condition. however, this assumption could not be validated when we analysed birds isolated from all social interactions. the hypothesis was tested on birds kept in isolation in order to analyse the effects of testosterone per se, and thereby exclude the influence of social interactions. adult male yellow-legged gulls (larus cachinnans) were captured, and after a period of adjustment, som ...	2002	11818219
genetic affinities within the herring gull larus argentatus assemblage revealed by aflp genotyping.	to date, the taxonomic status of circumpolar breeding populations of the herring gull larus argentatus, the lesser black-backed gull larus fuscus, and the closely related yellow-legged gull larus cachinnans has been based on differences or similarities in phenotype, morphology, and feeding and premating behavior. to shed some new light on the many taxonomic uncertainties surrounding these taxa, we describe the results of a large dna study based on comparing the distribution of 209 biallelic mark ...	2001	11139298
hepatotoxic effect of metallic pollutants on enzyme histochemical activities of yellow-legged gull larus cachinnans michahellis liver.	we studied the hepatotoxic effect of heavy metals (cadmium, mercury, copper) on mg2+ -atpase, nadh diaphorase, succinic dehydrogenase and acid phosphatase of yellow-legged gull liver, using enzyme histochemical methods. the lysosomal enzyme activity of acid phosphatase was increased in all cases. however, the other enzyme activities appeared to be insensitive to the different metallic pollutants and to their respective levels, in contrast with literature experimental data showing plasma membrane ...	2000	11075948
seabirds drive plant species turnover on small mediterranean islands at the expense of native taxa.	the analysis of long-term floristic changes was conducted on nine west-mediterranean limestone islands (size range: 2-95 ha) which have recently undergone a severe demographic explosion in their yellow-legged gull larus cachinnans colonies. a comparison of past and present plant inventories was used to quantify extinction-colonization events, both from a classical biogeographical perspective (per island approach) and a metapopulational perspective (per species approach). in the first approach, f ...	2000	28308294
babesia bennetti n. sp. from the yellow-legged gull (larus cachinnans, aves, laridae) on benidorm island, mediterranean sea.	babesia bennetti sp. nov. is described as a new species of piroplasm parasitizing the yellow-legged gull larus cachinnans. this is the first report of babesia for this family of birds. double infections in the erythrocytes were common. the udder cow forms described in babesia peircei also were found in this species. the typical "x" forms are rarely seen, with merozoites commonly found in pairs as tetrads.	1998	9576519
comparative skeletal muscle fibre morphometry among wild birds with different locomotor behaviour.	six muscles of the mallard duck (anas platyrhynchos), the common coot (fulica atra) and the yellow-legged gull (larus cachinnans) were analysed morphometrically, with special emphasis on their functional implications and physiological needs. oxidative fibres always had significantly smaller size than anaerobic fibres, although no differences in the number of capillaries per fibre were found. this resulted in greater capillary counts per unit of fibre area and perimeter in oxidative than anaerobi ...	1998	9643422
trophic niche width and overlap of two sympatric gulls in the southwestern mediterranean.	the diets of two potential competitor species, audouin's larus audouinii and yellow-legged gulls larus cachinnans, were examined while they bred at the chafarinas islands during 1993, 1994, and 1995. data were collected during two commercial fishing regimes: (1) trawling and purse seine fisheries, and (2) diurnal trawlers only. since the food supply for the gulls in this area was heavily reliant on the activity of purse seine fisheries, these contrasting situations allowed us to analyze short-te ...	1997	28307378
trace elements in clutches of yellow-legged gulls, larus cachinnans, from the medes islands, spain.		1997	9323225
dioxins, furans and ahh-active pcb congeners in eggs of two gull species from the western mediterranean.	polychlorinated biphenyls, dibenzodioxins and dibenzofurans were analysed in eggs of a protected gull species, the audouin's gull (larus audouinii) and compared to those of the yellow-legged gull (larus cachinnans), both breeding in the western mediterranean (ebro delta and medes islands, respectively). differences in concentrations as well as in congener profiles reflected differences in both habitat and diet of the two species. levels of ahh-active pcb congeners were lower in yellow-legged gul ...	1995	8528648
essaouira and kala iris: two new orbiviruses of the kemerovo serogroup, chenuda complex, isolated from ornithodoros (alectorobius) maritimus ticks in morocco.	essaouira and kala iris viruses were isolated from ornithodoros (alectorobius) maritimus ticks parasitizing yellow-legged gulls (larus cachinnans) on the coast of morocco in 1979 and 1981, respectively. serological evidence indicates that these two viruses are new members of the chenuda complex within the kemerovo serogroup of the genus orbivirus. ecological, pathological, morphological, and physicochemical properties are compatible with these findings. the infectivity of these viruses for man a ...	1993	8010186
[bacterial and fungal digestive flora of herring gulls (larus argentatus) in the camargue].	the bacterial and fungal digestive flora of herring gulls (larus argentatus michahellis) has been studied in camargue, france. of 107 cloacal swab samples, one was found to contain salmonellae. the incidence of escherichia coli and faecal streptococcus was sufficiently high to suggest that greater attention should be paid to the environmental impact of this gull species.	1983	18766771
maternal antibody transfer in yellow-legged gulls.		0	19624950