Marisa Tellez
- Published in print:
- 2013
- Published Online:
- May 2014
- ISBN:
- 9780520098893
- eISBN:
- 9780520957367
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- University of California Press
- DOI:
- 10.1525/california/9780520098893.001.0001
- Subject:
- Biology, Animal Biology
Records of parasitism in crocodilians date back to the early 1800s, distributed among published works, unpublished manuscripts, and international parasite catalogs. It is possible that parasites of ...
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Records of parasitism in crocodilians date back to the early 1800s, distributed among published works, unpublished manuscripts, and international parasite catalogs. It is possible that parasites of crocodilians are highly host specific, resulting in a relationship that began over two hundred million years ago. Analyzing parasite-host specificity, geographic distribution, and taxonomy can provide otherwise cryptic details about crocodilian ecology and evolution, as well as their local food web dynamics. This information may also be useful for implementing improved conservation tactics for both crocodilians and their habitat. As climate change, anthropogenic conflict, and environmental pollution endanger crocodilian ecosystems, there is a need for organized information on crocodile, alligator, caiman, and gharial infectious diseases. This is the first checklist of crocodilians and their parasites. I trust this compilation will encourage further studies that incorporate ecology, parasitology, phylogeography, coevolution, and immunology to bring insight to crocodilian life history, evolution, and conservation. Additionally, this information may encourage veterinarians, biologists, and ecologists to expand studies of other reptilian-parasite systems, and it may improve our understanding of human impacts on ecosystems.Less
Records of parasitism in crocodilians date back to the early 1800s, distributed among published works, unpublished manuscripts, and international parasite catalogs. It is possible that parasites of crocodilians are highly host specific, resulting in a relationship that began over two hundred million years ago. Analyzing parasite-host specificity, geographic distribution, and taxonomy can provide otherwise cryptic details about crocodilian ecology and evolution, as well as their local food web dynamics. This information may also be useful for implementing improved conservation tactics for both crocodilians and their habitat. As climate change, anthropogenic conflict, and environmental pollution endanger crocodilian ecosystems, there is a need for organized information on crocodile, alligator, caiman, and gharial infectious diseases. This is the first checklist of crocodilians and their parasites. I trust this compilation will encourage further studies that incorporate ecology, parasitology, phylogeography, coevolution, and immunology to bring insight to crocodilian life history, evolution, and conservation. Additionally, this information may encourage veterinarians, biologists, and ecologists to expand studies of other reptilian-parasite systems, and it may improve our understanding of human impacts on ecosystems.
Marisa Tellez
- Published in print:
- 2013
- Published Online:
- May 2014
- ISBN:
- 9780520098893
- eISBN:
- 9780520957367
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University of California Press
- DOI:
- 10.1525/california/9780520098893.003.0004
- Subject:
- Biology, Animal Biology
This chapter lists all of the major parasite groups identified from crocodilians and lists the crocodilian species infected with the particular parasite species.
This chapter lists all of the major parasite groups identified from crocodilians and lists the crocodilian species infected with the particular parasite species.
Claus Nielsen
- Published in print:
- 2011
- Published Online:
- December 2013
- ISBN:
- 9780199606023
- eISBN:
- 9780191774706
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199606023.003.0034
- Subject:
- Biology, Evolutionary Biology / Genetics, Animal Biology
The phylum Rotifera consists of approximately 2,000 described species of free-living, aquatic, mostly limnic organisms and about 900 aquatic or terrestrial, completely gutless, parasites. Many of the ...
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The phylum Rotifera consists of approximately 2,000 described species of free-living, aquatic, mostly limnic organisms and about 900 aquatic or terrestrial, completely gutless, parasites. Many of the free-living types can be distinguished by the ciliary ‘wheel organ’ or corona from which the phylum derived its name, but it is either highly modified or completely absent in others. The Rotifera comprises four main groups: Monogononta, Bdelloidea, Seisonidea, and Acanthocephala. The acanthocephalans were originally considered a separate phylum, but are now regarded as a sister group (or an in-group) of one of the free-living groups on the basis of the ultrastructure of the epidermis. In addition, the general structure of the mastax jaws, along with the ultrastructure of the jaws having parallel cuticular tubules with a dense core, suggests that the rotifers are closely related to the micrognathozoans and gnathostomulids. Studies on monogonont development have focused on the pelagic genus Asplanchna.Less
The phylum Rotifera consists of approximately 2,000 described species of free-living, aquatic, mostly limnic organisms and about 900 aquatic or terrestrial, completely gutless, parasites. Many of the free-living types can be distinguished by the ciliary ‘wheel organ’ or corona from which the phylum derived its name, but it is either highly modified or completely absent in others. The Rotifera comprises four main groups: Monogononta, Bdelloidea, Seisonidea, and Acanthocephala. The acanthocephalans were originally considered a separate phylum, but are now regarded as a sister group (or an in-group) of one of the free-living groups on the basis of the ultrastructure of the epidermis. In addition, the general structure of the mastax jaws, along with the ultrastructure of the jaws having parallel cuticular tubules with a dense core, suggests that the rotifers are closely related to the micrognathozoans and gnathostomulids. Studies on monogonont development have focused on the pelagic genus Asplanchna.
Henrike Semmler Le
- Published in print:
- 2015
- Published Online:
- March 2016
- ISBN:
- 9780199682201
- eISBN:
- 9780191813436
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199682201.003.0014
- Subject:
- Biology, Animal Biology
The nervous system of the 1150 species-containing Acanthocephala is strongly influenced by their parasitic lifestyle. Also known as ‘thorny-headed worms’, these few-centimetre-long animals are ...
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The nervous system of the 1150 species-containing Acanthocephala is strongly influenced by their parasitic lifestyle. Also known as ‘thorny-headed worms’, these few-centimetre-long animals are endoparasites, having insects or crustaceans as intermediate hosts and vertebrates as final hosts. The basic structural pattern of the nervous system is common to all Acanthocephala. Nevertheless, there are significant differences in numbers of cells and arising nerves from the cerebral ganglion present in the various acanthocephalan groups, i.e. Archiacanthocephala, Eoacanthocephala, and Palaeacanthocephala. A cerebral ganglion lies behind the characteristic revertible proboscis, and normally consists of less than 100 cells. It is subdivided into a peripheral layer of pericarya, and a central neuropil, which innervate the proboscis and the trunk. Male acanthocephalans feature a pair of genital ganglia at the penis base, comprising between 15 and 30 cells. In addition, a bursal ganglion was found in the posterior end of males. Like the genital ganglia, it is assumed to innervate the muscles that are involved in the eversion and erection of the bursa. In 1989, a vaginal ganglion was discovered in female acanthocephalans. This may control the vaginal musculature and the body wall musculature associated with the region of the gonopore. Based on the parasitic lifestyle of Acanthocephala, sense organs are poorly developed, as far as is known. Acanthocephalans have posterior receptors which are thought to facilitate copulation. Further, in the anterior body region, paired lateral sensory organs and an apical sensory organ can be found.Less
The nervous system of the 1150 species-containing Acanthocephala is strongly influenced by their parasitic lifestyle. Also known as ‘thorny-headed worms’, these few-centimetre-long animals are endoparasites, having insects or crustaceans as intermediate hosts and vertebrates as final hosts. The basic structural pattern of the nervous system is common to all Acanthocephala. Nevertheless, there are significant differences in numbers of cells and arising nerves from the cerebral ganglion present in the various acanthocephalan groups, i.e. Archiacanthocephala, Eoacanthocephala, and Palaeacanthocephala. A cerebral ganglion lies behind the characteristic revertible proboscis, and normally consists of less than 100 cells. It is subdivided into a peripheral layer of pericarya, and a central neuropil, which innervate the proboscis and the trunk. Male acanthocephalans feature a pair of genital ganglia at the penis base, comprising between 15 and 30 cells. In addition, a bursal ganglion was found in the posterior end of males. Like the genital ganglia, it is assumed to innervate the muscles that are involved in the eversion and erection of the bursa. In 1989, a vaginal ganglion was discovered in female acanthocephalans. This may control the vaginal musculature and the body wall musculature associated with the region of the gonopore. Based on the parasitic lifestyle of Acanthocephala, sense organs are poorly developed, as far as is known. Acanthocephalans have posterior receptors which are thought to facilitate copulation. Further, in the anterior body region, paired lateral sensory organs and an apical sensory organ can be found.
