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Keywords = fringillidae

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11 pages, 4500 KB  
Article
Germline-Restricted Chromosome (GRC) in Diploid and Polyploid Spermatocytes of the Eurasian Bullfinch, Pyrrhula pyrrhula (Fringillidae, Passeriformes, Aves)
by Ekaterina Grishko, Lyubov Malinovskaya, Katerina Tishakova and Pavel Borodin
Animals 2025, 15(23), 3394; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani15233394 - 24 Nov 2025
Viewed by 353
Abstract
The germline-restricted chromosome (GRC) is a unique and enigmatic element found exclusively in the germ cells of passerine birds, with its function and evolutionary dynamics still largely unresolved. This study utilizes cytogenetic analysis of the Eurasian bullfinch (Pyrrhula pyrrhula) to explore [...] Read more.
The germline-restricted chromosome (GRC) is a unique and enigmatic element found exclusively in the germ cells of passerine birds, with its function and evolutionary dynamics still largely unresolved. This study utilizes cytogenetic analysis of the Eurasian bullfinch (Pyrrhula pyrrhula) to explore the meiotic behavior of the GRC. We report the novel discovery of naturally occurring tetraploid and octoploid spermatocytes in this species. Remarkably, in these polyploid cells, the GRC exhibited normal meiotic processes, including full synapsis and recombination. Recombination was restricted to the H3K9me3-negative proximal half of the GRC bivalent, implicating a chromatin-based regulation mechanism. The standard chromosome set in the polyploid cells showed orderly chromosome synapsis. The number of recombination nodules in tetraploid and octoploid nuclei was approximately equal to the standard value for diploids multiplied by 2 and 4, respectively. These findings suggest that polyploidy does not completely hinder meiotic progression in birds and offer new insights into GRC regulation during meiosis. Full article
(This article belongs to the Section Birds)
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14 pages, 1554 KB  
Article
Cross-Species Validation of Pigeon-Specific CHD1 Primers for Molecular Sexing in Pet Birds
by Simona Marc, Oana Maria Boldura, Cristina Paul, Maria Roberta Tripon, Gabriel Otavă and Jelena Savici
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2025, 26(22), 11142; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms262211142 - 18 Nov 2025
Viewed by 778
Abstract
Young and adult birds of a large number of species are sexually monomorphic. The development of molecular methodologies for sexing birds has overcome these difficulties, allowing reliable sex differentiation. An important gene in sex determination across a variety of bird species is the [...] Read more.
Young and adult birds of a large number of species are sexually monomorphic. The development of molecular methodologies for sexing birds has overcome these difficulties, allowing reliable sex differentiation. An important gene in sex determination across a variety of bird species is the CHD1 gene, which encodes Chromodomain-helicase DNA binding protein-1 and is located on the avian Z and W chromosomes. The aim of the study is to evaluate the cross-species performance of pigeon-specific CHD1 primers in identifying the molecular sex of birds from five different families, alongside the universal CHD1F/CHD1R primers. The samples were collected from birds of different ages from five different families (Psittaculidae, Psittacidae, Columbidae, Fringillidae, and Phasianidae). Using universal primer sets, the PCR products that were electrophoresed in agarose gel revealed an average size of 510 pb for the CHD1 gene on the Z chromosome, while females had two bands with one of 330 pb for the CHD1 gene on the W chromosome. When pigeon primers were used, the PCR products showed a single band of an size average of 470 pb for males, and two bands in females, with one of them measuring 320 pb. Even though there were small variations in fragment sizes resulting from species-specific intronic differences, these preliminary findings suggest that pigeon CHD1 primers can be used for sexing birds of professional interest with minimally invasive sample collection. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Molecular Insights into Zoology)
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33 pages, 2539 KB  
Article
Diversity and Origin of Quill Mites of the Subfamily Syringophilinae (Acariformes: Syringophilidae) Parasitising the True Finches (Passeriformes: Fringillidae)
by Maciej Skoracki, Markus Unsoeld, Roland R. Melzer, Stefan Friedrich and Bozena Sikora
Animals 2025, 15(21), 3227; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani15213227 - 6 Nov 2025
Viewed by 1389
Abstract
Mites associated with birds comprise representatives of numerous families and display a remarkable diversity of ecological strategies, ranging from commensalism, in which the mite benefits without causing measurable harm to its host, to parasitism, which can lead to direct damage through feeding on [...] Read more.
Mites associated with birds comprise representatives of numerous families and display a remarkable diversity of ecological strategies, ranging from commensalism, in which the mite benefits without causing measurable harm to its host, to parasitism, which can lead to direct damage through feeding on host tissues or resources [...] Full article
(This article belongs to the Section Ecology and Conservation)
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17 pages, 1924 KB  
Article
Quill Mites of the Family Syringophilidae (Acariformes: Cheyletoidea) Parasitising Birds of the Subfamily Euphoninae (Passeriformes: Fringillidae)
by Bozena Sikora, Markus Unsoeld, Roland R. Melzer, Stefan Friedrich, Martin Hromada and Maciej Skoracki
Animals 2025, 15(5), 764; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani15050764 - 6 Mar 2025
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1191
Abstract
Quill mites of the family Syringophilidae (Acariformes: Prostigmata) are highly specialised avian ectoparasites that inhabit feather quills. Despite their widespread occurrence, their diversity, distribution, and host associations remain poorly understood. This study examined the diversity and ecological interactions of syringophilid mites parasitising Euphoninae [...] Read more.
Quill mites of the family Syringophilidae (Acariformes: Prostigmata) are highly specialised avian ectoparasites that inhabit feather quills. Despite their widespread occurrence, their diversity, distribution, and host associations remain poorly understood. This study examined the diversity and ecological interactions of syringophilid mites parasitising Euphoninae hosts. We analysed 298 dry bird skins representing 25 species deposited in the Bavarian State Collection for Zoology in Munich, Germany. Quill mite infestations were detected in 15 host species, identifying 4 mite species, including 2 newly described taxa: Aulonastus neotropicalis sp. n. and Syringophilopsis euphonicus sp. n. Infestation prevalence ranged from 2% to 25%. Quill mite–host interactions exhibited high specialisation and niche differentiation, with no co-occurring species sharing the same microhabitat. Network analysis indicated moderate connectance (0.35) and significant host specificity (H2′ = 0.77, p = 0.007). Biogeographic history suggests that divergence from Carduelinae and subsequent evolutionary events shaped syringophilid diversity in Euphoninae. These findings underscore the importance of museum collections in uncovering cryptic parasite diversity and provide new insights into host–parasite co-evolutionary dynamics. Full article
(This article belongs to the Section Wildlife)
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14 pages, 5738 KB  
Article
Cytological Analysis of Crossover Frequency and Distribution in Male Meiosis of Cardueline Finches (Fringillidae, Aves)
by Ekaterina Grishko, Lyubov Malinovskaya, Anastasia Slobodchikova, Artemiy Kotelnikov, Anna Torgasheva and Pavel Borodin
Animals 2023, 13(23), 3624; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani13233624 - 23 Nov 2023
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1749
Abstract
Meiotic recombination is an important source of genetic diversity. Using immunolocalization of several meiotic proteins at the spreads of male pachytene cells, we estimated the number of recombination nodules per cell and their distribution along the macrochromosome 1 of the Common linnet, [...] Read more.
Meiotic recombination is an important source of genetic diversity. Using immunolocalization of several meiotic proteins at the spreads of male pachytene cells, we estimated the number of recombination nodules per cell and their distribution along the macrochromosome 1 of the Common linnet, Eurasian bullfinch, Eurasian siskin, and European goldfinch. The macrochromosomes of the two former species have metapolycentromeres, composed of several centromeric domains. We detected significant interspecies differences in the mean numbers of recombination nodules per genome: 52.9 ± 2.8 in the linnet, 49.5 ± 3.5 in the bullfinch, 61.5 ± 6.3 in the siskin and 52.2 ± 2.7 in the goldfinch. Recombination patterns on macrochromosome 1 were similar across species, with more nodules localized near chromosome ends and fewer around centromeres. The distance from the proximal nodule to the centromere depended on the nodule count per chromosome arm, with more events leading to a closer location. However, species with different centromere types showed no difference in this regard. We propose that the deficiency of recombination sites near centromeres could be due to the sequential occurrence of crossovers starting from the chromosome ends and may not be attributed to any suppressive effect of the centromere itself. Full article
(This article belongs to the Section Animal Genetics and Genomics)
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