Parasites and immunogenetic diversity in prairie dogs
Date
2018
Authors
Harp, Elizabeth M., author
Antolin, Michael F., advisor
Ballweber, Lora R., committee member
Hobbs, N. Thompson, committee member
McGrew, Ashley K., committee member
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Abstract
Prairie dogs (Cynomys spp.) are an important component of North American grassland communities. Prairie dogs have been characterized as ecosystem engineers and keystone species because their extensive burrow systems alter ecosystem dynamics and provide homes for a variety of species. Prairie dog populations have declined dramatically over the past century as a result of eradication programs, habitat loss, and introduced plague. This research explores factors related to host-parasite ecology and immunogenetics of prairie dogs. The second chapter is a systematic review of parasites recorded from all five prairie dog species. The third chapter characterizes genetic diversity and investigates selection at the hyperdiverse MHC DRB locus in black-tailed prairie dogs. The fourth chapter uses multimodel inference to investigate host and environmental factors affecting flea aggregation on black-tailed prairie dogs. I found host-parasite records documenting at least 104 parasites species from prairie dogs. Over 2/3 of parasite species were ectoparasites, primarily fleas. Most endoparasites were protozoa. Bacteria and viruses are essentially undescribed from prairie dogs. Potentially related to the diversity of parasites they are exposed to, the DRB gene in black-tailed prairie dogs was characterized by high levels of diversity. I also found considerable evidence for contemporary directional selection and historical balancing selection acting on the DRB gene in black-tailed prairie dogs. However, I found only weak evidence for a relationship between DRB genotype and flea parasitism in black-tailed prairie dogs. Primary drivers of flea aggregation on black-tailed prairie dogs, identified by multimodel inference of generalized linear models, were host sex and month of capture. Males were more heavily parasitized than females, and flea loads are greatest in September and lowest in June.
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Subject
MHC
cynomys
parasite