Biotic interactions are believed to play a role in the origin and maintenance of species
diversity, and multiple hypotheses link the latitudinal diversity gradient to a presumed …

Although a small set of external factors account for much of the spatial variation in plant and
animal diversity, the search continues for general drivers of variation in parasite species …

1. Aquaculture is replacing capture fisheries in supplying the world with dietary protein.
Although disease is a major threat to aquaculture production, the underlying global …

Statistical correlations of biodiversity patterns across multiple trophic levels have received
considerable attention in various types of interacting assemblages, forging a universal …

Invasive species can displace natives, and thus identifying the traits that make aliens
successful is crucial for predicting and preventing biodiversity loss. Pathogens may play an …

Geographic variation in environmental conditions as well as host traits that promote parasite
transmission may impact infection rates and community assembly of vector‐transmitted …

Avian host life history traits have been hypothesized to predict rates of infection by
haemosporidian parasites. Using molecular techniques, we tested this hypothesis for …

Lymphocytes and heterophils are the two most abundant leucocyte types, which play a
major role in adaptive and innate immune defence, respectively. The ratio of heterophils to …

Background The role of zoos in conservation programmes has increased significantly in last
decades, and the health of captive animals is essential to guarantee success of such …

Southeast Brazil is a neotropical region composed of a mosaic of different tropical habitats
and mountain chains, which allowed for the formation of bird-rich communities with distinct …