| a phylogenetic analysis of the emberizid sparrows based on three mitochondrial genes. | previous molecular phylogenetic studies have examined the taxonomic relationships among a number of typical emberizid sparrow genera. to help clarify these relationships, we sequenced a 1673 base pair fragment for the complete sequence of three mitochondrial genes: adenosine triphosphatase (atp8 and atp6) and cytochrome oxidase subunit iii (coiii) for 38 sparrow species, along with passerina amoena (cardinalidae) and piranga ludoviciana (thraupidae) which were selected as the outgroups. our anal ... | 2003 | 12967606 |
| associations of grassland bird communities with black-tailed prairie dogs in the north american great plains. | colonial burrowing herbivores can modify vegetation structure, create belowground refugia, and generate landscape heterogeneity, thereby affecting the distribution and abundance of associated species. black-tailed prairie dogs (cynomys ludovicianus) are such a species, and they may strongly affect the abundance and composition of grassland bird communities. we examined how prairie dog colonies in the north american great plains affect bird species and community composition. areas occupied by pra ... | 2013 | 23330695 |
| brain contrasts between migratory and nonmigratory north american lark sparrows (chondestes grammacus). | the impact of evolving migratory behavior on brain organization in birds has been a foundational question in the emerging field of neuroecology. one generalization that seems to be approaching consensus is that migratory species/populations have smaller brain volumes than their nonmigratory comparison groups. the lark sparrow (chondestes grammacus) is a north american species characterized by migratory and nonmigratory populations. consistent with what has been observed in other species/populati ... | 2015 | 26426857 |
| characterization of major histocompatibility complex class i loci of the lark sparrow (chondestes grammacus) and insights into avian mhc evolution. | the major histocompatibilty complex (mhc) has become increasingly important in the study of the immunocapabilities of non-model vertebrates due to its direct involvement in the immune response. the characterization of mhc class i loci in the lark sparrow (chondestes grammacus) revealed multiple mhc class i loci with elevated genetic diversity at exon 3, evidence of differential selection between the peptide binding region (pbr) and non-pbr, and the presence of multiple pseudogenes with limited d ... | 2015 | 26071093 |
| distribution, prevalence and host specificity of avian malaria parasites across the breeding range of the migratory lark sparrow (chondestes grammacus). | the lark sparrow (chondestes grammacus) is a ground-nesting passerine that breeds across much of the central north american steppe and sand barrens. through genotyping and sequencing of avian malaria parasites we examined levels of malaria prevalence and determined the distribution of haemoproteus and plasmodium lineages across the breeding range of the lark sparrow. analysis of 365 birds collected from five breeding locations revealed relatively high levels of malaria prevalence in adults (80 % ... | 2014 | 24880788 |