Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 8, 2026
07:55
Using SCOPE to Identify Potential Regulatory Motifs in Coregulated Genes
Published on: May 31, 2011
10.7K
Gene flow and adaptive potential in a generalist ectoparasite
Anaïs S C Appelgren1,2,3,4, Verena Saladin5, Heinz Richner5
1Evolutionary Ecology Laboratory, Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Bern, Baltzerstrasse 6, Bern, Switzerland. anais.appelgren@gmail.com.
BMC Evolutionary Biology
|June 21, 2018
Summary
Dispersal rates of the hen flea (Ceratophyllus gallinae) are limited, impacting its adaptive potential. Gene flow is restricted among hosts and across space, influencing host-parasite interactions.
Area of Science:
- Ecology
- Evolutionary Biology
- Genetics
Background:
- Host-parasite systems rely on dispersal rates to shape genetic diversity and adaptive potential.
- Understanding parasite dispersal is key to explaining host-parasite interaction patterns across space and time.
- Estimating dispersal for generalist parasites is complex, depending on host range and spatial scale.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the relative contribution of host range and spatial scale to the population genetic structure of the hen flea (Ceratophyllus gallinae).
- To investigate the genetic structure of C. gallinae across different spatial scales and between two sympatric host species: the great tit (Parus major) and the collared flycatcher (Ficedula albicollis).
Main Methods:
- Sampling of C. gallinae from old nests of P. major and F. albicollis in three wood patches.
- Microsatellite genotyping to analyze population genetic structure at various scales (within-nest, among-nests, between-host species, among-patches).
- Clustering analyses and relatedness estimates to infer population structure and inbreeding patterns.
Main Results:
- Significant genetic structure was observed at all spatial scales and between host species, confirming limited parasite dispersal.
- Inbreeding was found to occur regularly within nests.
- Isolation by distance indicated stepwise flea dispersal among neighboring nests, with gene flow estimated to be half that of their great tit hosts.
Conclusions:
- Parasite dispersal is limited, influencing its adaptive potential in host-parasite systems.
- The study highlights the intricate interplay between parasite gene flow, local adaptation, and host specialization.
Related Concept Videos
02:39Gene Flow
38.0K
Gene flow is the transfer of genes among populations, resulting from either the dispersal of gametes or from the migration of individuals.
38.0K
01:23Plane Potential Flows
979
Plane potential flows simplify fluid motion by assuming the fluid to be irrotational and incompressible. These characteristics allow these flows to be described by a velocity potential function, ϕ, representing the flow speed in a given direction, and a stream function, ψ, that visualizes the flow path, both governed by Laplace's equation. These parameters help in estimating flow patterns, velocity distributions, and pressure fields around various hydraulic structures.
Uniform...
Uniform...
979
01:09Mutation, Gene Flow, and Genetic Drift
64.5K
In a population that is not at Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium, the frequency of alleles changes over time. Therefore, any deviations from the five conditions of Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium can alter the genetic variation of a given population. Conditions that change the genetic variability of a population include mutations, natural selection, non-random mating, gene flow, and genetic drift (small population size).
64.5K
03:02Standard Electrode Potentials
50.4K
On comparing the reactivity of silver and lead, it is observed that the two ionic species, Ag+ (aq) and Pb2+ (aq), show a difference in their redox reactivity towards copper: the silver ion undergoes spontaneous reduction, while the lead ion does not. This relative redox activity can be easily quantified in electrochemical cells by a property called cell potential. This property is commonly known as cell voltage in electrochemistry, and it is a measure of the energy which accompanies the charge...
50.4K
02:58Cell Potential and Free Energy
46.6K
Thermodynamics of a Redox Reaction
Thermodynamics is the branch of physics dealing with the relationship between heat and other forms of energy. In an electrochemical cell, chemical energy is converted into electrical energy.
Thus, a link can be predicted between cell potential, free energy change, and the equilibrium constant for the reaction. Cell potential can also be measured as the oxidant or the reducing strength, and similar acid-base strength measures are reflected in equilibrium...
Thermodynamics is the branch of physics dealing with the relationship between heat and other forms of energy. In an electrochemical cell, chemical energy is converted into electrical energy.
Thus, a link can be predicted between cell potential, free energy change, and the equilibrium constant for the reaction. Cell potential can also be measured as the oxidant or the reducing strength, and similar acid-base strength measures are reflected in equilibrium...
46.6K
00:52Potential Energy
42.7K
The energy stored by a structure and location of matter in space is called potential energy. For instance, raising a kettlebell changes its spatial location and increases its potential energy. Similarly, a stretched rubber band contains potential energy which, under certain conditions, can be converted into other forms of energy, such as kinetic energy.
Chemical bonds that form attractive forces between atoms also contain potential energy, called chemical energy. When a chemical reaction...
Chemical bonds that form attractive forces between atoms also contain potential energy, called chemical energy. When a chemical reaction...
42.7K