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Linking social and spatial networks to viral community phylogenetics reveals subtype‐specific transmission dynamics in African lions
Author(s) -
FountainJones Nicholas M.,
Packer Craig,
Troyer Jennifer L.,
VanderWaal Kimberly,
Robinson Stacie,
Jacquot Maude,
Craft Meggan E.
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
journal of animal ecology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.134
H-Index - 157
eISSN - 1365-2656
pISSN - 0021-8790
DOI - 10.1111/1365-2656.12751
Subject(s) - transmission (telecommunications) , biology , phylogenetic tree , panthera , evolutionary biology , carnivore , pride , cultural transmission in animals , phylogenetics , viral phylodynamics , horizontal transmission , ecology , geography , genetics , virus , predation , gene , law , political science , electrical engineering , engineering
Heterogeneity within pathogen species can have important consequences for how pathogens transmit across landscapes; however, discerning different transmission routes is challenging. Here, we apply both phylodynamic and phylogenetic community ecology techniques to examine the consequences of pathogen heterogeneity on transmission by assessing subtype‐specific transmission pathways in a social carnivore. We use comprehensive social and spatial network data to examine transmission pathways for three subtypes of feline immunodeficiency virus ( FIV Ple ) in African lions ( P anthera leo ) at multiple scales in the Serengeti National Park, Tanzania. We used FIV Ple molecular data to examine the role of social organization and lion density in shaping transmission pathways and tested to what extent vertical (i.e., father– and/or mother–offspring relationships) or horizontal (between unrelated individuals) transmission underpinned these patterns for each subtype. Using the same data, we constructed subtype‐specific FIV Ple co‐occurrence networks and assessed what combination of social networks, spatial networks or co‐infection best structured the FIV Ple network. While social organization (i.e., pride) was an important component of FIV Ple transmission pathways at all scales, we find that FIV Ple subtypes exhibited different transmission pathways at within‐ and between‐pride scales. A combination of social and spatial networks, coupled with consideration of subtype co‐infection, was likely to be important for FIV Ple transmission for the two major subtypes, but the relative contribution of each factor was strongly subtype‐specific. Our study provides evidence that pathogen heterogeneity is important in understanding pathogen transmission, which could have consequences for how endemic pathogens are managed. Furthermore, we demonstrate that community phylogenetic ecology coupled with phylodynamic techniques can reveal insights into the differential evolutionary pressures acting on virus subtypes, which can manifest into landscape‐level effects.