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https://hdl.handle.net/1959.11/8867
Title: | Latitudinal gradient in the taxonomic composition of parasite communities | Contributor(s): | Poulin, Robert (author); Leung, Tommy (author) | Publication Date: | 2011 | Open Access: | Yes | DOI: | 10.1017/S0022149X10000696 | Handle Link: | https://hdl.handle.net/1959.11/8867 | Open Access Link: | http://www.une.edu.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0003/30909/2011-poulin-leung-latitudinal-gradient-in-the-taxonomic.pdf | Abstract: | Although latitudinal gradients in diversity have been well studied, latitudinal variation in the taxonomic composition of communities has received less attention. Here, we use a large dataset including 950 surveys of helminth endoparasite communities in 650 species of vertebrate hosts to test for latitudinal changes in the relative contributions of trematodes, cestodes, nematodes and acanthocephalans to parasite assemblages. Although the species richness of helminth communities showed no consistent latitudinal variation, their taxonomic composition varied as a function of both host type and latitude. First, trematodes and acanthocephalans accounted for a higher proportion of species in helminth communities of fish, whereas nematodes achieved a higher proportion of the species in communities of bird and especially mammal hosts. Second, the proportion of trematodes in helminth communities of birds and mammals increased toward higher latitudes. Finally, the proportion of nematodes per community increased toward lower latitudes regardless of the type of host. We present tentative explanations for these patterns, and argue that new insights in parasite community ecology can be gained by searching for latitudinal gradients not only in parasite species richness, but also in the taxonomic composition of parasite assemblages. | Publication Type: | Journal Article | Source of Publication: | Journal of Helminthology, 85(3), p. 228-233 | Publisher: | Cambridge University Press | Place of Publication: | United Kingdom | ISSN: | 1475-2697 0022-149X |
Fields of Research (FoR) 2008: | 060899 Zoology not elsewhere classified 060299 Ecology not elsewhere classified |
Socio-Economic Objective (SEO) 2008: | 970106 Expanding Knowledge in the Biological Sciences | Peer Reviewed: | Yes | HERDC Category Description: | C1 Refereed Article in a Scholarly Journal |
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Appears in Collections: | Journal Article School of Environmental and Rural Science |
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