| hematology, plasma chemistry, and serology of the flightless cormorant (phalacrocorax harrisi) in the galapagos islands, ecuador. | the flightless cormorant (phalacrocorax harrisi) is an endemic species of the galápagos islands, ecuador. health studies of the species have not previously been conducted. in august 2003, baseline samples were collected from flightless cormorant colonies on the islands of isabela and fernandina. seventy-six birds, from nestlings to adults, were evaluated. genetic sexing of 70 cormorants revealed 37 females and 33 males. hematology assessment consisted of packed cell volume (n=19), leukograms (n= ... | 2006 | 16699155 |
| cryptic host specificity of an avian skin mite (epidermoptidae) vectored by louseflies (hippoboscidae) associated with two endemic galapagos bird species. | host specificity of vectors is an important but understudied force shaping parasite evolution and the relationship between hosts and parasites. low vector specificity may allow a vectored parasite to invade new host species, whereas high specificity of vectors may reduce the host range of the parasite and favor specialization. the 'generalist' and widely distributed avian skin mite myialges caulotoon speiser (acari: epidermoptidae) is unusual because females require an insect vector to complete ... | 2006 | 17304798 |
| microfilariae in galápagos penguins (spheniscus mendiculus) and flightless cormorants (phalacrocorax harrisi): genetics, morphology, and prevalence. | galapagos penguins (spheniscus mendiculus) and flightless cormorants (phalacrocorax harrisi) live in small, isolated populations on the westernmost islands of isabela and fernandina in the galápagos islands, ecuador. between august 2003 and february 2005, 4 field trips, 2 in the cool, dry season (august 2003 and august 2004) and 2 in the hot, rainy season (march 2004 and february 2005), were undertaken; 298 galápagos penguins and 380 cormorants were sampled for prevalence and intensity of hemopa ... | 2007 | 17626340 |
| the phylogenetic position of the galápagos cormorant. | the endangered galápagos cormorant, phalacrocorax harrisi, is unique among the species of the phalacrocoracidae in being flightless and sequentially polyandrous. it has had a vexed taxonomic history, variously being lumped with all the species in phalacrocorax, being accorded its own genus, nannopterum, or being included in leucocarbo or compsohalieus. different authorities have similarly suggested a number of different species as being its closest relative. here we use novel mitochondrial dna s ... | 2009 | 19523526 |
| genetic structure within and between island populations of the flightless cormorant (phalacrocorax harrisi). | we assessed colony- and island-level genetic differentiation for the flightless cormorant (phalacrocorax harrisi), an endangered galápagos endemic that has one of the most limited geographical distributions of any seabird, consisting of only two adjacent islands. we screened 223 individuals from both islands and nine colonies at five microsatellite loci, recovering 23 alleles. we found highly significant genetic differentiation throughout the flightless cormorant's range on fernandina and isabel ... | 2009 | 19635072 |
| ecological correlates of microfilariae prevalence in endangered galápagos birds. | this study assesses the ecological factors associated with microfilariae prevalence in wild populations of endangered flightless cormorants (phalacrocorax harrisi) and galápagos penguins (spheniscus mendiculus). prevalence values were tested for correlation with a large number of environmental variables, as modeled from weather station data and measured by satellite-borne sensors. predictions were made based on the expected effects of climatic and landscape variables on sustained populations of ... | 2010 | 19954259 |
| exposure to toxoplasma gondii in galapagos penguins (spheniscus mendiculus) and flightless cormorants (phalacrocorax harrisi) in the galapagos islands, ecuador. | toxoplasma gondii is one of the most common protozoan parasites of humans and warm-blooded animals. members of the family felidae are the only definitive hosts of this parasite and, thus, important in the epidemiology of the disease. previous studies on pacific islands have found t. gondii infections in a number of avian species where domestic cats (felis catus) have been introduced. little is known about t. gondii in the galapagos islands, although introduced domestic cats in the archipelago ar ... | 2010 | 20688714 |
| a genetic signature of the evolution of loss of flight in the galapagos cormorant. | we have a limited understanding of the genetic and molecular basis of evolutionary changes in the size and proportion of limbs. we studied wing and pectoral skeleton reduction leading to flightlessness in the galapagos cormorant (phalacrocorax harrisi). we sequenced and de novo assembled the genomes of four cormorant species and applied a predictive and comparative genomics approach to find candidate variants that may have contributed to the evolution of flightlessness. these analyses and cross- ... | 2017 | 28572335 |
| microsatellite markers isolated from the flightless cormorant (phalacrocorax harrisi). | eight polymorphic microsatellite dna loci were isolated from the flightless cormorant (phalacrocorax harrisi) for future population genetic studies. genetic variability was assessed using at least 38 individuals from two populations. allele numbers ranged from three to nine per locus. mean observed heterozygosity varied from 0.27 to 0.78. no locus deviated from hardy-weinberg (hw) or linkage equilibria in either population. the high levels of detected polymorphism indicate the utility of these m ... | 2008 | 21585852 |
| assessing the risks of introduced chickens and their pathogens to native birds in the galápagos archipelago. | poultry production is an important economic activity on inhabited islands of the galápagos archipelago. there has been a recent surge in both small-scale backyard chickens and larger scale broiler production associated with growth in the human population and the tourist industry. with increased poultry production, concerns have been expressed about the increasing risk of transfer of disease from chickens to native galápagos bird species that may have little resistance to introduced pathogens [wi ... | 2005 | 32226077 |