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dc.contributor.authorMarzal, Alfonso
dc.contributor.authorRicklefs, Robert E.
dc.contributor.authorValkiunas, Gediminas
dc.contributor.authorAlbayrak, Tamer
dc.contributor.authorArriero, Elena
dc.contributor.authorBonneaud, Camille
dc.contributor.authorCzirjak, Gabor A.
dc.contributor.authorEwen, John
dc.contributor.authorHellgren, Olof
dc.contributor.authorHorakova, Dita
dc.contributor.authorIezhova, Tatjana A.
dc.contributor.authorJensen, Henrik
dc.contributor.authorKrizanauskiene, Asta
dc.contributor.authorLima, Marcos R.
dc.contributor.authorde Lope, Florentino
dc.contributor.authorMagnussen, Eydfinn
dc.contributor.authorMartin, Lynn B.
dc.contributor.authorMøller, Anders P.
dc.contributor.authorPalinauskas, Vaidas
dc.contributor.authorPap, Peter L.
dc.contributor.authorPerez-Tris, Javier
dc.contributor.authorSehgal, Ravinder N. M.
dc.contributor.authorSoler, Manuel
dc.contributor.authorSzöllösi, Eszter
dc.contributor.authorWesterdahl, Helena
dc.contributor.authorZetindjiev, Pavel
dc.contributor.authorBensch, Staffan
dc.date.accessioned2015-10-30T11:14:51Z
dc.date.accessioned2015-11-26T12:47:45Z
dc.date.available2015-10-30T11:14:51Z
dc.date.available2015-11-26T12:47:45Z
dc.date.issued2011
dc.identifier.citationPLoS ONE 2011, 6(7):e21905nb_NO
dc.identifier.issn1932-6203
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/11250/2365870
dc.description.abstractInvasive species can displace natives, and thus identifying the traits that make aliens successful is crucial for predicting and preventing biodiversity loss. Pathogens may play an important role in the invasive process, facilitating colonization of their hosts in new continents and islands. According to the Novel Weapon Hypothesis, colonizers may out-compete local native species by bringing with them novel pathogens to which native species are not adapted. In contrast, the Enemy Release Hypothesis suggests that flourishing colonizers are successful because they have left their pathogens behind. To assess the role of avian malaria and related haemosporidian parasites in the global spread of a common invasive bird, we examined the prevalence and genetic diversity of haemosporidian parasites (order Haemosporida, genera Plasmodium and Haemoproteus) infecting house sparrows (Passer domesticus). We sampled house sparrows (N = 1820) from 58 locations on 6 continents. All the samples were tested using PCR-based methods; blood films from the PCR-positive birds were examined microscopically to identify parasite species. The results show that haemosporidian parasites in the house sparrows' native range are replaced by species from local host-generalist parasite fauna in the alien environments of North and South America. Furthermore, sparrows in colonized regions displayed a lower diversity and prevalence of parasite infections. Because the house sparrow lost its native parasites when colonizing the American continents, the release from these natural enemies may have facilitated its invasion in the last two centuries. Our findings therefore reject the Novel Weapon Hypothesis and are concordant with the Enemy Release Hypothesis.nb_NO
dc.language.isoengnb_NO
dc.publisherPublic Library of Sciencenb_NO
dc.titleDiversity, Loss, and Gain of Malaria Parasites in a Globally Invasive Birdnb_NO
dc.typeJournal articlenb_NO
dc.typePeer revieweden_GB
dc.date.updated2015-10-30T11:14:51Z
dc.source.volume6nb_NO
dc.source.journalPLoS ONEnb_NO
dc.source.issue12nb_NO
dc.identifier.doi10.1371/journal.pone.0021905
dc.identifier.cristin835645
dc.relation.projectNorges forskningsråd: 191847nb_NO
dc.description.localcode© 2011 Marzal et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.nb_NO


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