Divergent parasite faunas in adjacent populations of west Greenland caribou: Natural and anthropogenic influences on diversity

Abstract

Graphical abstract

Eimeria rangiferis (Protozoa: Eimeriidae) reported from caribou in Ameralik, West Greenland

“…Finally, N. longissimespiculata has been documented in Norwegian reindeer (Josefsen et al, 2014) and could have arrived to Greenland with their 1952 release at Itivnera in the north Ameralik area. Steele et al, (2013b) reported the presence of the strongyle Ostertagia gruehneri in AkiaManiitsoq caribou, however, it has not been reported in the adjacent Kangerlussuaq-Sisimiut caribou population (Clausen et al, 1980, Korsholm & Olesen, 1993Steele et al, 2013b). Morphology of our study's strongyle-type eggs (Figure 2) from Ameralik caribou coincides with descriptions of Ostertagia eggs (Thienpont et al, 1979;Fruetel & Lankester, 1989).…”

“…Several strongyle nematodes, however, exhibit similar egg morphology making conclusive identification to genus or species impossible. To explain Ostertagia gruehneri presence in Akia-Maniitsoq and absence in Kangerlussuaq-Sisimiut, Steele et al (2013b) suggested O. gruehneri was introduced to the Akia-Maniitsoq caribou with the import of semi-domestic reindeer from Finnmark Norway, which are known to carry this parasite (Josefsen et al, 2014). In contrast, today Icelandic reindeer lack O. gruehneri.…”

“…Recently, Steele et al, (2013a;2013b) examined intestinal parasites in the adjacent AkiaManiitsoq population (ca. 64°-66°N), which is north of Nuuk and separated from the Ameralik caribou by the ≥ 5 km wide Godthaabs fjord.…”

“…64°-66°N), which is north of Nuuk and separated from the Ameralik caribou by the ≥ 5 km wide Godthaabs fjord. One reindeer-specific helminth, the abomasal nematode Ostertagia gruehneri, was identified (Steele et al, 2013b). Fecal samples revealed strongyle-type eggs (presumably O. gruehneri), eggs of a Nematodirinae nematode, eggs of an Anoplocephalidae cestode (probably Moniezia sp.)…”

“…66°-68°N), which is yet further north and without contact to other populations in West Greenland (Jepsen et al, 2002), revealed three nematode species (Nematodirella longissimespiculata, Marshallhagia marshalli, Teladorsagia boreoarcticus), perhaps an Anoplocephalid cestode and two morphologically different coccidians (Eimeria spp.) (Clausen et al, 1980;Korsholm & Olesen, 1993;Steele et al, 2013a;2013b).…”