Papers by Whitney Preisser
FIGURE 2. Scanning electron micrographs of Gongylonema archboldi n. sp. A. Male, anterior end wit... more FIGURE 2. Scanning electron micrographs of Gongylonema archboldi n. sp. A. Male, anterior end with prominent cuticular bosses, ventro-lateral view. B. Female, anterior end with more numerous prominent cuticular bosses than the male, ventral view. C. Female, detail of lateral alae, lateral view. D. Female, detail of prominent cuticular bosses.
FIGURE 1. Drawings of Gongylonema archboldi n. sp. A. Male, anterior end with detail of nerve rin... more FIGURE 1. Drawings of Gongylonema archboldi n. sp. A. Male, anterior end with detail of nerve ring, muscular esophagus and beginning of glandular esophagus and cuticular bosses, internal and surface view. B. Female, anterior end with detail of nerve ring, muscular esophagus and beginning of glandular esophagus and cuticular bosses, internal and surface view in two different figures. C. Male, caudal papillae asymmetrical, pedunculate and variable in number of pre-cloacal and post-cloacal papillae and sessile papillae near tail, ventral view. D. Male, spicules dissimilar and very unequal in length, right spicule boatshaped and left spicule thin, needle-tipped. E. Male, detail of gubernaculum with a cup-shaped base in which the right spicule rests.
Parasitology
Abstract Abstract Estimates of trematode diversity are inaccurate due to unrecognized cryptic spe... more Abstract Abstract Estimates of trematode diversity are inaccurate due to unrecognized cryptic species and phenotypic plasticity within species. Integrative taxonomy (genetics, morphology and host use) increases the clarity of species delineation and improves knowledge of parasite biology. In this study, we used this approach to resolve taxonomic issues and test hypotheses of cryptic species in a genus of trematode, Quinqueserialis. Specimens from throughout North America were field collected from hosts and obtained from museums. We found three morphologically distinct groups and successfully sequenced specimens from two of these groups. DNA sequencing at the 28S and CO1 gene regions revealed that two of the three groups were genetically distinct. One genetic group included two morphological clusters demonstrating host-induced phenotypic plasticity within Quinqueserialis quinqueserialis. The other unique genetic group is a novel species, Quinqueserialis kinsellai n. sp., which is described herein. Our study illustrates the importance of integrating multiple sources of evidence when investigating trematode diversity to account for the influence of cryptic species or phenotypic plasticity. However, further sampling is needed to understand Quinqueserialis spp. diversity as some species have no genetic information associated with them.
Zootaxa, 2016
Gongylonema archboldi n. sp. (Nematoda: Gongylonematidae) is described from tunnels in the gastri... more Gongylonema archboldi n. sp. (Nematoda: Gongylonematidae) is described from tunnels in the gastric mucosa of the stomach of the cotton rat (Sigmodon hispidus) from Highlands County, Florida, U.S.A. Measurements are also given for specimens from cotton mice (Peromyscus gossypinus), oldfield mice (Peromyscus polionotus), Florida mice (Podomys floridanus), and golden mice (Ochrotomys nuttalli) from the same locality. Additional specimens were collected from the cotton rat and the rice rat (Oryzomys palustris) from Berry Island, San Patricio County, Texas. The new species is differentiated from congeners by a combination of the following characters: length of the left spicule, length and shape of the gubernaculum, distribution of cuticular bosses, length of esophagus, and distance of the vulva from the posterior end. The status of the genus Gongylonema in North American rodents is reviewed.
Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment, 2021
The latitudinal diversity gradient (LDG), or the trend of higher species richness at lower latitu... more The latitudinal diversity gradient (LDG), or the trend of higher species richness at lower latitudes, has been well documented in multiple groups of free-living organisms. Investigations of the LDG in parasitic organisms are comparatively scarce. Here, I investigated latitudinal patterns of parasite diversity by reviewing published studies and by conducting a novel investigation of the LDG of helminths (parasitic nematodes, trematodes and cestodes) of cricetid rodents (Rodentia: Cricetidae). Using host-parasite records from 175 parasite communities and 60 host species, I tested for the presence and direction of a latitudinal pattern of helminth richness. Additionally, I examined four abiotic factors (mean annual temperature, annual precipitation, annual temperature range and annual precipitation range) and two biotic variables (host body mass and host diet) as potential correlates of parasite richness. The analyses were performed with and without phylogenetic comparative methods, as necessary. In this system, helminths followed the traditional LDG, with increasing species richness with decreasing latitude. Nematode richness appeared to drive this pattern, as cestodes and trematodes exhibited a reverse LDG and no latitudinal pattern, respectively. Overall helminth richness and nematode richness were higher in areas with higher mean annual temperatures, annual precipitation and annual precipitation ranges and lower annual temperature ranges, characteristics that often typify lower latitudes. Cestode richness was higher in areas of lower mean annual temperatures, annual precipitation and annual precipitation ranges and higher annual temperature ranges, while trematode richness showed no relationship with climate variables when phylogenetic comparative methods were used. Host diet was significantly correlated with cestode and trematode species richness, while host body mass was significantly correlated with nematode species richness. Results of this study support a complex association between parasite richness and latitude, and indicate that researchers should carefully consider other factors when trying to understand diversity gradients in parasitic organisms.
Environmental Justice, 2013
Dozens of developed countries massively subsidize biomass-crop growing/incineration, touting it a... more Dozens of developed countries massively subsidize biomass-crop growing/incineration, touting it as clean, renewable, and helping to alleviate climate change. Using a case study of a contemporary, state-of-the-art facility to incinerate Miscanthus-giganteus biomass, this article shows that bioenergy projects are (1) not clean, given overwhelming particulate and nitrogen-oxide releases; (2) disproportionately sited in EIJ situations, near communities of color, tribal communities, or low-income communities who are harmed both medically and economically; (3) likely to impose ecological and environmental burdens on EIJ communities because of possible biomass-crop invasiveness; and (4) misrepresented by biomass promoters who take advantage of lucrative, taxpayer-funded federal and state biomass subsidies.
THERYA, 2019
We present an updated checklist of helminth species infecting cricetid and heteromyid rodents (Ro... more We present an updated checklist of helminth species infecting cricetid and heteromyid rodents (Rodentia: Cricetidae and Heteromyidae) distributed in Mexico. For each helminth record, we include information on helminth taxonomy, location within the host, life stage, host associations, collection localities, citation, and museum collections, when available. We recorded more than 73 helminth species from 47 host species distributed across 21 states in Mexico. The present list represents the most up-to-date knowledge of helminth species infecting cricetid and heteromyid rodents in Mexico.
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Papers by Whitney Preisser