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Phylogeny
and Microhabitat Specialization in Avian Ischnocera
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Avian feather lice (Ischnocera) specialize on several different
microhabitats on the body of birds. These specialists include wing
lice, head lice, and body lice. Several groups of birds harbor different
genera of lice each occupying a different microhabitat. How did
this pattern arise? One possibility is that each specilization evolved
once and the lice subsequently radiated with birds. The second possibility
is that lice specializing on different microhabitats evolved repeatedly,
often on the same group of birds, resulting in convergence across
avian feather lice. Preliminary data supports this latter pattern
to some extent – duck wing lice are closely related to duck
head lice, turkey body lice are closely related to turkey wing lice,
etc. The goal of this project is to reconstruct a phylogeny for
avian Ischnocera from both molecular and morphological data and
uncover the pattern of the evolution of microhabitat specialization.
This project is funded by NSF Systematics Panel Grant DEB-0107891.
David Morris is a post-doctoral researcher working on this project.
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Systematics
and Taxonomy of Goniodidae
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The
Goniodidae are a group of feather lice occurring on the avian orders
Columbiformes (pigeons and doves) and Galliformes (chicken, quail,
pheasants, etc.). This group of lice is an important model system
for studies of feather louse ecology. However, the taxonomy and systematics
of Goniodidae is in need of serious revision. The goal of this project
is to completely revise all the genera of Gonididae and to provide
a phylogeny for the family based on morphological and molecular data.
This phylogeny will be compared to that of the bird hosts to determine
the degree of cospeciation in Goniodidae. Louse resources, such as
a complete world checklist, will also be produced.
This project is funded by NSF PEET DEB-0118794, a collaborative grant
with Dale
Clayton (University of Utah). Funding for both Masters and Ph.D.
students are available through this project (See Graduate Study).
Related Publication: Johnson, K. P., R. J. Adams, and D. H. Clayton.
2001. Molecular systematics of Goniodidae (Insecta: Phthiraptera).
Journal of Parasitology 87:862-869. |
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The
Population Genetics of Host-Specifity in Duck Lice
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The lice occurring on waterfowl are among the least specific of
all avian lice. However, it is expected that barriers to dispersal
in louse populations will exist between host species and between
continents. The goal of this project is to assess the level of genetic
differentiation between duck louse populations on different host
species and in different geographic regions. This project was funded
by a University of Illinois Arnold O. Beckman Research Award and
is in collaboration with Kevin
McCracken (University of Alaska, Fairbanks).
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Phylogeny of Columbiformes
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Pigeons and
doves are a large group of birds (around 315 species) with a worldwide
distribution. Several ongoing projects are aimed at reconstructing
a phylogeny for this entire order of birds. These phylogenies will
be used in comparisons with phylogenies of feather lice from these
birds. Sub-projects include:
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Zenaida--Related
Publication: Johnson, K. P. and D. H. Clayton. 2000. A molecular
phylogeny of the dove genus Zenaida: Mitochondrial and nuclear
DNA sequences. Condor 102:864-870.
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Geotrygon
and Leptotila -- in collaboration with Jason Weckstein
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Phabine
Doves -- in collaboration with Terry Chesser
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Origins
of Parasitism in Lice
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What was the ancestral host for lice? Did dinosaurs have lice?
Are lice a monophyletic group? These questions are being addressed
by reconstructing a molecular phylogeny for major lineages of parasitic
lice (Phthiraptera) and their close relatives, book-lice and bark-lice
(Psocoptera).
This project is a multi-collaborator effort including the labs of
Rod
Page, Steve
Barker, Kazunori
Yoshizawa, and Edward
Mockford.
Related
Publication
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Phylogeny
of the Dove Wing Louse Columbicola
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The
goal of this project is to construct a phylogeny for the wing lice
of doves and compare it to host phylogeny. Biogeography and genetic
divergences will be used to aid in the reconstruction of host-switching
versus duplication and sorting events. The phylogeny of the bacterial
symbionts (project by David Reed) will also be compared to the phylogeny
of Columbicola.
This project is in collaboration with Dale
Clayton and David Reed. |
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Cophylogenetics
of Swiftlets and Lice
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The
louse genus Dennyus occurs on the avian family Apodidae (Swifts).
To evaluate the role of cospeciation in the radiation of this genus,
molecular phylogenies are being constructed for swiftlets (Collocalia
and Aerodramus) and associated species of Dennyus.
This project is an ongoing collaboration with Dale
Clayton. |
