Which is House Sparrow?

Did the house sparrow evolve from the pre-human commensal house ancestor?

Divergence between house and Bactrianus sparrows is consistent with the onset of the Holocene; suggesting the latter is potentially a relict of the pre-human commensal house ancestor. A comparative genome scan between these species will help identify genome regions that may have played a role in adaptation to a human niche by the house sparrow.

How did the bactrianus Sparrow diverge from the house lineage?

The Bactrianus sparrow may have diverged from the main house lineage either prior to or as a result of the evolution of human-commensalism during the Neolithic revolution. The subspecies migrates, does not associate with human settlements and is less bold [ 13 ]—all traits that are common to non-human commensal sparrow species such as the Spanish.

How did house sparrows become Italian sparrow?

A close association with humans has had a profound effect on house sparrows. Earlier work by the team has shown that hybridization and gene exchange between the house sparrow and Spanish sparrow (Passer hispaniolensis) gave rise to the Italian sparrow (Passer italiae) in the Mediterranean.

Is the bactrianus Sparrow a pre-commensal species?

Using the Bactrianus sparrow as a proxy for a pre-commensal, ancestral house population, we performed a comparative genome scan to identify genes potentially involved with adaptation to an anthropogenic niche.

What do we know about divergence time between house and Spanish sparrows?

Parameter estimates of divergence time, the species split date between the house and Spanish sparrow, effective population sizes and migration rates and their associated 95% CI, derived from non-parametric block bootstraps ( b ).

What do we know about the gut microbiota of house sparrows?

The gut microbiota of house sparrows differs between chicks and adults, with Proteobacteria decreasing in chicks when they get to around 9 days old, whilst the relative abundance of Firmicutes increase. The house sparrow’s flight is direct (not undulating) and flapping, averaging 45.5 km/h (28.3 mph) and about 15 wingbeats per second.

Is the bactrianus Sparrow a proxy for the house sparrow?

Bactrianus sparrows can therefore be considered a proxy for the ancestral, pre-commensal house sparrow. With the rapid expansion and spread of house sparrow populations following the invention of agriculture, it is likely the Bactrianus has remained a relict lineage confined to the Central Asian steppes.

What do we know about crop microbiota in birds?

Hoatzin and kakapo are currently the only wild bird species for which crop microbiota have been studied, and are both unique with respect to diet, and inherent low microbial diversity (Waite et al. 2012 ). Among domestic birds, crop microbiota of captive bred Japanese quail were dominated by Firmicutes, Actinobacteria and Proteobacteria.

What is the relationship between gut microbiota and birds?

Birds are diverse and vary in life-history traits such as migratory behavior, flight capacity, diet, mating systems, longevity and physiology, all of which may impact gut microbiota. For example, migratory birds may encounter a wider variety of microorganisms that are able to colonize their gut than resident birds do.

Do gut microbes limit growth in house sparrow nestlings (Passer domesticus)?

KohlK. D. BrunA. BordensteinS. R. Caviedes-VidalE. KarasovW. H. 2018. Gut microbes limit growth in house sparrow nestlings ( Passer domesticus) but not through limitations in digestive capacity. – Integr. Zool. 13: 139 – 151 . KoskeyA. M.

How do house sparrows increase their geographic range?

). Becoming commensal some 10,000 years ago, house sparrows are now strongly associated with habitats that have been modified by humans. However, they also continue to increase their geographic range by exploiting ongoing and accelerating anthropogenic change ( ).

Is the gut microbiota of wild birds similar to human gut microbiota?

The wild bird core gut microbiota is more similar to domesticated chickens than to non-human mammals, and most different from the core gut microbiota of humans (Fig. 2).

What do we know about the gastrointestinal microbiota of birds?

Learn more. Gastrointestinal microbiota play a vital role in maintaining organismal health, through facilitating nutrient uptake, detoxification and interactions with the immune system. The gastrointestinal microbiota of birds has been poorly studied, especially in wild species under natural conditions.

How does migration affect bird gut microbiota?

In addition to the extrinsic effects of migration on gut microbiota, there may be intrinsic physiological effects due to plasticity in bird gut morphology during migration. Migratory shorebirds down-regulate the mass of their GI tract before long-distance movements, resulting in an average 30% reduction in GI tract length (Battley et al. 2000 ).

Is there an avian gut microbiota?

The gastrointestinal microbiota of birds has been poorly studied, especially in wild species under natural conditions. Studies of avian gut microbiota are outnumbered ten to one by studies of mammals, and are dominated by research on domestic poultry.

Which bacteria are found in the gut of birds?

The avian gut microbiota were dominated by Firmicutes and Proteobacteria, with lower abundance of Bacteriodetes and Actinobacteria (Fig. 2). Domestic and wild birds both have a high relative abundance of Proteobacteria (25%), compared to < 1% in humans.

What is the role of microbiome in the digestive system?

The intestinal microbial community contributes to nutrient metabolism, calibrates metabolic functions, educates/stimulates the immune system, maintains community integrity, and defends the host from pathogens [4,5]. The set of bacterial genomes coexisting with the host is called microbiome.

How can we infer intestinal microbial communities in wild birds?

Intestinal microbial communities have predominantly been inferred from analyzing fecal samples and cloacal swabs, two non-lethal techniques appropriate for sampling wild birds under natural conditions. The crop is a pouch below the esophagus at the beginning of the GI tract in most birds, and temporarily holds quickly ingested food.

How does migration affect the gut microbiome of the wild swan goose?

It also supports efforts for the protection of these habitats for migratory birds, and provides basic data regarding the effects of habitat pollution and degradation on the birds. In summary, the general composition and central taxa of the wild swan goose gut microbiome was generally unaffected by long-distance migration.

How do gut microbiota affect health in wild birds?

How gut microbiota affect health in wild birds is unknown, due to the difficulties of determining health status for free-living birds and rarity of recovering dead individuals. Gut microbiota can improve health by aiding nutrient uptake and through positive interactions with the immune system.

How does migration affect the gut microbiota?

Pre-migratory fattening and GI tract shrinkage can be observed in captive wild birds, which, in combination with wind tunnel experimental flights, could be valuable tools for assessing the effect of migration on gut microbiota.

Why study the avian gut microbiota?

Studies of avian gut microbiota are outnumbered ten to one by studies of mammals, and are dominated by research on domestic poultry. Unlike domestic poultry, wild birds vary widely in environmental preferences, physiology, and life-history traits, such as migratory behavior and mating systems.

How important is the whole gut microbiota in maintaining bird health?

The importance of the whole gut microbiota in maintaining avian health is unknown, despite widespread declines in wild bird populations (Vickery et al. 2014 ). Birds are an exciting group to investigate because the lineage (class: Aves) includes over 10 000 species.

Does gut microbiota influence animal health and productivity in commercial broiler chickens?

Gut microbiota and its relationship to animal health and productivity in commercial broiler chickens has been difficult to establish due to high variability between flocks, which derives from plenty of environmental, nutritional, and host factors that influence the load of commensal and pathogenic m …

Is a bird’s gut microbiome linked to its brain?

Researchers also identified potentially critical bacteria that were relatively more abundant in birds that performed better on this assay. This correlation provides some of the first evidence of a relationship between a bird’s gut microbiome and its brain.

What is the relative abundance of Proteobacteria in bird gut microbiota?

Domestic and wild birds both have a high relative abundance of Proteobacteria (25%), compared to < 1% in humans. Next, we describe the general functions known for core microbial phyla in avian digestive tracts, as well as what functions gut microbiota may perform for their avian hosts.