DIVERSITY AND HOST-PARASITE DYNAMICS OF AVIAN MALARIA ALONG A TROPICAL ALTITUDIN

这个子项目是许多利用资源的研究子项目之一 由NIH/NCRR资助的中心拨款提供。子项目的主要支持 而子项目的主要调查员可能是由其他来源提供的， 包括其它NIH来源。 列出的子项目总成本可能 代表子项目使用的中心基础设施的估计数量， 而不是由NCRR赠款提供给子项目或子项目工作人员的直接资金。 每年感染全球人口5%以上的人类疟疾寄生虫仅包括一个属中的四个物种。这代表了疟疾系统发育多样性的一小部分，其中大部分发生在鸟类中，并且未被描述。需要对禽疟多样性和宿主-寄生虫动态进行充分描述，以了解人类寄生虫的进化。 在2007年以来的实地工作中，我们在热带安第斯山脉发起了第一次大规模的禽疟疾调查，该地区是鸟类α和β多样性的全球首要热点。我们在秘鲁海拔4000米的梯度上收集了6000多个冷冻组织和3000个血液样本，代表了来自46个科的500个宿主物种，同时在博物馆数据库中严格记录了宿主和寄生虫材料和数据。通过显微镜对来自五个海拔高度的至少100个样本进行初步筛选，发现了两个新的发现：（1）疟疾感染率的一个戏剧性的中海拔高峰与亚热带“云雾森林”区相对应;（2）疟疾流行率在鸟类分支中的惊人变化，在巴拿马地峡形成后扩展到南美洲的分支具有最高的感染率。 该项目的目的是（1）描述跨越陡峭的温度和压力梯度的疟疾寄生虫多样性，沿着该梯度，宿主物种具有高度多样性和周转率;（2）确定宿主生殖发育、地理分布和呼吸适应对高度对禽疟易感性的影响。

This subproject is one of many research subprojects utilizing the resources provided by a Center grant funded by NIH/NCRR. Primary support for the subproject and the subproject's principal investigator may have been provided by other sources, including other NIH sources. The Total Cost listed for the subproject likely represents the estimated amount of Center infrastructure utilized by the subproject, not direct funding provided by the NCRR grant to the subproject or subproject staff. Human malaria parasites that sicken more than five percent of the global human population annually comprise only four species in a single genus. This represents a miniscule fraction of the phylogenetic diversity of malaria, most of which occurs in birds and is undescribed. An adequate description of avian malaria diversity and host-parasite dynamics is needed to understand the evolution of the human parasites. In fieldwork since 2007, we have initiated the first large-scale survey of avian malaria in the tropical Andes, the premier global hotspot for alpha- and beta-diversity of birds. We have collected over 6000 frozen tissues and 3000 blood samples across a 4000m elevational gradient in Peru, representing 500 host species from 46 families, while rigorously documenting host and parasite materials and data in a museum database. A preliminary screening by microscopy of at least 100 samples from each of five elevations shows two novel findings: (1) a dramatic mid-elevation peak in malaria infection rate corresponding with the subtropical 'cloud forest' zone; and (2) striking variation in malaria prevalence among avian clades, with clades that expanded to South America after the formation of the Isthmus of Panama having the highest rates of infection. The aims of this project are (1) to describe malaria parasite diversity across a steep temperature and pressure gradient along which there is high diversity and turnover of host species; and (2) to determine the effects of host phylogeny, biogeography, and respiratory adaptations to altitude on susceptibility to avian malaria.