We used molecular methods to determine the microbial community of soil and avian plumage across biogeographic, ecological, and taxonomic scales. A total of 17 soil and 116 feather samples were collected from five avian species across multiple habitat types within one Neotropical and one temperate locality. Hypotheses regarding patterns of microbial composition relative to acquisition and dispersal of plumage bacteria in the ecosystem were tested by comparing microbial communities within and between soil and plumage. Samples from the plumage of American Redstarts (Setophaga ruticilla) were collected across both habitat types and geographic scales for intraspecific comparisons. The microbial diversity in avian plumage was moderately diverse and was dominated by Pseudomonas species. Despite a highly significant individual bird effect on microbial composition of the plumage, we detected significant biogeographic and type of habitat effects. Pseudomonas species were more abundant on the temperate site when all avian species were included in the analysis, and Bacillus subtilis and Xanthomonas groups were more abundant on the Neotropical site for redstarts alone. However, 16S rDNA sequence libraries were not significantly different between Jamaican and Maryland redstarts. Biogeographic and habitat effects were significant and more pronounced for soil samples indicating lower dispersal of soil microbiota. We detected a significant difference between soil and plumage microbial communities suggesting that soil plays a small role in plumage bacterial acquisition. Our results suggest bacterial communities on the plumage of birds are dynamic and may change at different stages in a bird's annual cycle.
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Zool Res
January 2025
Integrative Science Center of Germplasm Creation in Western China (Chongqing) Science City, MOE Key Laboratory of Freshwater Fish Reproduction and Development, School of Life Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China. E-mail:
Avian genomes exhibit compact organization and remarkable chromosomal stability. However, the extent and mechanisms by which structural variation in avian genomes differ from those in other vertebrate lineages are poorly explored. This study generated a diploid genome assembly for the golden pheasant ( ), a species distinguished by the vibrant plumage of males.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFProc Biol Sci
January 2025
Department of Biodiversity, Ecology and Evolution, Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain.
Parasites have their strongest impact on fitness when host defences deplete resources needed for other critical life-history stages, such as development, breeding or migration. Among birds, one greatly neglected stage that could be altered by parasites is post-juvenile moult (PJM), through which yearling juvenile birds replace their fast-generated, low-quality juvenile feathers with adult-like feathers after leaving the nest. The earlier the birds complete PJM, the earlier they will be prepared to withstand forthcoming challenges, such as adverse winter conditions or migration.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Mol Evol
January 2025
Computational Evolutionary Genomics Lab, Department of Biological Sciences, IISER Bhopal, Bhauri, Madhya Pradesh, India.
The diversity in dermal pigmentation and plumage color among domestic chickens is striking, with Black Bone Chickens (BBC) particularly notable for their intense melanin hyperpigmentation. This unique trait is driven by a complex chromosomal rearrangement on chromosome 20 at the Fm locus, resulting in the overexpression of the EDN3 (a gene central to melanocyte regulation). In contrast, the inhibition of dermal pigmentation is regulated by the Id locus.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFGigascience
January 2025
State Key Laboratory of Animal Biotech Breeding, Institute of Animal Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100193, China.
Background: Plumage coloration is a distinctive trait in ducks, and the Liancheng duck, characterized by its white plumage and black beak and webbed feet, serves as an excellent subject for such studies. However, academic comprehension of the genetic mechanisms underlying duck plumage coloration remains limited. To this end, the Liancheng duck genome (GCA_039998735.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPLoS One
January 2025
Department of Animal Science, College of Agriculture and Veterinary Science Ambo University Mamo Mezemir Campus, Guder, Ethiopia.
Indigenous chickens play a crucial role in the livelihoods of smallholder farmers in rural Ethiopia. This study aimed to phenotypically characterize indigenous chickens in the Liban Jawi district, focusing on measurements of phenotypic characteristics. The multi-stage sampling method selected 192 households with at least two mature indigenous chickens from 2,166 households, resulting in the sampling of 224 chickens (138 females and 86 males) for phenotypic characterization.
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