Juan J Negro

Spanish National Research Council | CSIC · Department of Evolutionary Ecology (EBD)

Budgetary cost of the equipment used in this study. (PDF)

Lesser kestrel breeding colony located at the headquearters of Doñana Biological Station (Seville, Spain). A) Lesser kestrel colony located at the roof of the headquarters of Doñana Biological Station in Seville. B) Nestlings in the proximity of releasing nest-boxes. C) Fledglings perched in one of the antennas of the building. D) First breeding at...

Distribution of nearest distances between kestrel and UAS fixes. Fixes were taken one per second. (TIF)

Parental and offspring MHC class II B genotypes (exon 2) in 44 families of lesser kestrels. Within each breeding pair, males are outlined in red and females in blue. Supertype A alleles are coloured in dark blue, and supertype B alleles are coloured in green. FanaX denotes alleles that are not yet deposited in the GenBank database. These alleles ar...

[This corrects the article on p. e45927 in vol. 7.].

Every year and across the world, thousands of fledglings of different petrel species crash into human structures because they are disorientated by artificial lights during their first flights. As this phenomenon is rather predictable, rescue cam-paigns are organized to help birds to reach the ocean, but unfortunately, a low proportion gets hurt or...

The hypothesis that Neanderthals exploited birds for the use of their feathers or claws as personal ornaments in symbolic behaviour is revolutionary as it assigns unprecedented cognitive abilities to these hominins. This inference, however, is based on modest faunal samples and thus may not represent a regular or systematic behaviour. Here we addre...

Database of Pleistocene Palearctic sites based on fossil bird sites catalogued by Tyrberg [Nuttal Ornithol. Club, Cambridge, Mass., 27, 1998/ http:/web.telia.com/-u11502098/pleistocene.html, 2008]. This database includes all raptor and corvid species as well as corresponding archaeological and paleontological attribution. (XLS)

NISP by skeletal element and taxa from Gibraltar sites. (DOC)

Number of bird bones from the Gibraltar sites with cut-marks. (DOC)

Radiocarbon and ESR dates for the Gibraltar cave sites which show evidence of bird processing by Neanderthals. (DOC)

Correlation ( r Pearson ) between maximum bone density of several skeletal elements and main represented species ( Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax) at Gorham's Cave according to Minimal Number of Elements (MNE). (DOC)

Taxonomical representation in Palaeolithic sites (Middle and Upper) compared to paleontological sites, tested by chi-square. Note species names follow sequence of first three letters of genus and species names -Refer to Table 1 and Table S1-. Fox example, PERAPI is Pernis Apivorus. (XLS)

Analysis of colour of remiges among raptors and corvids in Palaeolithic and paleontological sites across the Palearctic. (DOC)

Current or historic use of feathers by Modern Humans (including modern western civilization and tribal peoples). Data from Ferraro-Dorta S, Xavier Cury M (2000) A plumária indígena brasileira no Museu de Arqueologia e Etnologia da USP. Brazil: Imprensa Oficial SP. 535 p. and Biebuyck DP, Van den Abbeele N (1984) The power of Headdresses: a cross-cu...

Taphonomical methods. (DOC)

Statistical Analysis of the skeletal representation from the Gibraltar bird remains and of cut-marked bones. 1) Wing versus leg and axial skeleton bones; 2) individual wing and leg bones and; 3) cut-marks on wing and leg bones. (DOC)

Major histocompatibility complex (MHC) genes are classical examples of “good genes” because of their critical participation in fighting and eradicating pathogens. Here, we investigated the inheritance of alleles across a highly polymorphic MHC class II B gene in a socially monogamous raptor, the lesser kestrel Falco naumanni. Allele segregation pat...

The synthesis of melanins, which are the most common animal pigments, is influenced by glutathione (GSH), a key intracellular antioxidant. At high GSH levels, pheomelanin (the lightest melanin form) is produced, whereas production of eumelanin (the darkest melanin form) does not require GSH. Oxidative damage typically increases with age, and age-re...

This article documents the addition of 171 microsatellite marker loci and 27 pairs of single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) sequencing primers to the Molecular Ecology Resources Database. Loci were developed for the following species: Bombus pauloensis, Cephalorhynchus heavisidii, Cercospora sojina, Harpyhaliaetus coronatus, Hordeum vulgare, Lachnol...

This article documents the addition of 171 microsatellite marker loci and 27 pairs of single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) sequencing primers to the Molecular Ecology Resources Database. Loci were developed for the following species: Bombus pauloensis, Cephalorhynchus heavisidii, Cercospora sojina, Harpyhaliaetus coronatus, Hordeum vulgare, Lachnol...

The ruddy duck (Oxyura jamaicensis), a stifftail native to the Americas, was introduced to the UK in the 1950s and has since been recorded in 22 western Palearctic countries. By 2000, the UK popu-lation peaked at nearly 6,000 individuals. In 1991, hybridisation with the native and globally threatened (IUCN Endangered) white-headed duck (Oxyura leu-...

McDonald and Griffith (2011) raise important points in their critique of reliance on feathers as a source of DNA for scientific research. Although those authors are right about many details, their one-size-fits all approach (i.e. prescribing blood draws for avian DNA analyses) obscures bigger picture issues that are of extraordinary relevance to av...

The diet of the Great Tit Parus major when rearing chicks has been described in many studies. However, data from the Mediterranean area is scarce. Here we describe the diet of nestlings in a population of Great Tits in a Mediterranean forest in Barcelona (north–east Spain) during two breeding seasons using two methods: neck–collars and video record...

This presentation explains the rationale, objectives and results of Montagu´s Harrier's nests surveillance experiments conducted in the Aeromab Project using small UAS (Unmanned Aerial Systems) in Seville countryside (Southwest of Spain). It presents the situation of the species, whose nests are threatened by harvesters and the observational techni...

El jabalí de interés cinegético en la península Ibérica, cuenta con numerosas sub-poblaciones de Sus scrofa mediterraneus. El Parque Nacional Doñana es la reserva biológica más importante de España y la mayor superficie protegida con gran diversidad ecológica distribuida en tres tipos básicos de ecosistemas: dunas, playas y marismas en los que coha...

Although published information on reference values for biochemical parameters in birds of prey has increased during the last years, little is known on their sources of variation. We used an insectivorous and small migratory raptor species, the lesser kestrel Falco naumanni, as a model. We looked for sources of variation of nutritional biochemical p...

We present here the All Sky Transmission MONitor (ASTMON), designed to perform a continuous monitoring of the surface brightness of the complete night-sky in several bands. The data acquired are used to derive, in addition, a subsequent map of the multiband atmospheric extinction at any location in the sky, and a map of the cloud coverage. The inst...

MHC class I and MHC class II B genotypes. Genotypes resolved by traditional laboratory-based methods during previous studies [11-14] and ongoing research by the authors. GenBank accession numbers for the MHC alleles of the lesser kestrel Falco naumanni are shown.

Original data set of unphased MHC class I and II genotypes. Simulations contain 8, 15, 30 or 45 individuals from the MHC class I, and 8, 15, 30, 45, 60 or 75 individuals from the MHC class II. Five replicates for each sample size were created, sub-sampling individuals randomly.

Genes of the Major Histocompatibility Complex (MHC) are very popular genetic markers among evolutionary biologists because of their potential role in pathogen confrontation and sexual selection. However, MHC genotyping still remains challenging and time-consuming in spite of substantial methodological advances. Although computational haplotype infe...

Many of the mechanisms involved in visual signalling in birds are based on pigment-based plumage ornamentation and colouration rather than the expression of other, non-plumage-based displays. We have analysed the colouration of the tarsi and ceres of free-ranging Chimango Caracaras Milvago chimango, a controversial morphological trait for this spec...

We describe the diversity of two kinds of mycobacteria isolates, environmental mycobacteria and Mycobacterium bovis collected from wild boar, fallow deer, red deer and cattle in Doñana National Park (DNP, Spain), analyzing their association with temporal, spatial and environmental factors. High diversity of environmental mycobacteria species and M....

Gathering knowledge about the migratory routes and wintering areas of threatened populations is fundamental for their successful conservation. Here, we used a non-invasive approach that relies on major histocompatibility complex (MHC) polymorphism to infer the breeding origin of a long-distance migratory bird, the lesser kestrel Falco naumanni, in...

The wild boar, a cinegetic species of Iberian Peninsula, has numerous sub-populations of Sus scrofa mediterraneus. Doñana National Park is the most important biological reserves in Spain and the largest protected area with great ecological diversity, distributed on three basic types of ecosystems: sand dunes, beaches and marshes. Here live together...

Natal dispersal is the time elapsed between departing from the natal site and settling to attempt breeding for the first time. In long-lived species with deferred sexual maturity this period may last several years, making this process crucial for their survival and conservation. Here we present a large-scale outline of juvenile Bonelli’s eagle’s di...

Colour polymorphism results from the expression of multiallelic genes generating phenotypes with very distinctive colourations. Most colour polymorphisms are due to differences in the type or amount of melanins present in each morph, which also differ in several behavioural, morphometric and physiological attributes. Melanin-based colour morphs cou...

Although it is recognized that certain environmental factors are important determinants of the expression of melanin-based traits, their influence in wild populations of animals is poorly known. One of these factors is the availability of amino acids that serve as precursors of melanins. Here we measured eumelanin and pheomelanin content in feather...

Estimating indices of abundance of threatened species is crucial to preserving biodiversity. Over the last few decades, noninvasive genetic sampling has proven to be a more straightforward and less expensive approach than capture-mark-recapture analyses. In particular, molted feathers have become extremely popular for the monitoring of bird populat...

Since carotenoids have physiological functions necessary for maintaining health, individuals should be selected to actively seek and develop a specific appetite for these compounds. Great tits Parus major in a diet choice experiment, both in captivity and the field, preferred carotenoid-enriched diets to control diets. The food items did not differ...

We compared eggshell thickness of hatched eggs with that of non-developed eggs in endangered falcon taxa to explore the effect of embryo development on eggshell thinning. To our knowledge, this has never been examined before in falcons, despite the fact that eggshell thinning due to pollutants and environmental contamination is often considered the...

We observed three polygynous trios (one male and two females) in a colony of lesser kestrels in southern Spain. All these trios broke up before egg-laying because the secondary female deserted and paired with another male. The time spent by the bigamous males with the female at the colony, the copulation rates, and the mate-feedings, were always lo...

Capsule Birds cover daily distances not normally exceeding 20 km during the initial phase of dispersal, with the daily peak of movement/activity in the afternoon.

Pathogen diversity is thought to drive major histocompatibility complex (MHC) polymorphism given that host's immune repertories are dependent on antigen recognition capabilities. Here, we surveyed an extensive community of pathogens (n = 35 taxa) and MHC diversity in mainland versus island subspecies of the Eurasian kestrel Falco tinnunculus and in...

We compared membrane thickness of fully developed eggs with those of non-developed eggs in different endangered falcon taxa. To our knowledge, membrane thickness variation during development has never been examined before in falcons or any other wild bird. Yet, the egg membrane constitutes an important protective barrier for the developing embryo....

To study natal dispersal and recruitment to the breeding population in Bonelli's Eagle, two nestlings were tagged with satellite transmitters in the Iberian Peninsula in 2002. Their monthly ranges and distances were computed and fitted to regression models to describe their general trend. One bird, a female, dispersed and settled rapidly in an area...

The threat of emerging infectious diseases encourages the investigation of functional loci related to host resilience, such as those belonging to the major histocompatibility complex (MHC). Through careful primer design targeting to conserved regions of MHC class I sequences in birds, we successfully amplified a genomic fragment spanning exons 2–4...

Light level geolocators, also known as GLS loggers, are electronic devices intended for tracking the location of wide-ranging animals using ambient light to estimate latitude and longitude. Miniaturized geolocators that can be used on relatively small migratory birds have recently become available, but little is known about the potential harmful ef...

Aim To identify the wintering grounds of the threatened western European Lesser Kestrels to focus conservation efforts in those areas.Location Huelva Province, southern Spain, as breeding range, and western Africa (Senegal and Mauritania), as wintering range.Methods We used archival light level geolocators (1.5 g) to map the wintering areas and det...

The final aim of project HORUS is to develop and test an automatic monitoring system of the long-term response in population size, reproduction, body condition, and behaviour, of a Lesser Kestrel breeding colony in an agricultural area. We are developing an automatic recording system of the individuals present at the colony, that is located in agri...

We report for the first time the existence of a structural mechanism of feathers different from iridescence that makes plumage conspicuous. By using electron and light microscopy, we show that the mechanism consists of special lengthened and twisted distal barbules that are very susceptible to damage. The dorsal side of these barbules is translucen...

Wild deer have an important role in the epidemiology of bovine tuberculosis (bTB). The aims of this study were (1) to compare the pattern of lesions present in wild red (Cervus elaphus) and fallow (Dama dama) deer that were naturally infected with Mycobacterium bovis, and (2) to use this information to develop a sampling strategy for the isolation...

Porphyrins are a widespread group of pigments in nature, but, contrary to melanins and carotenoids, their occurrence as plumage colorants seems to be anecdotal and their function, if any, is unknown. Using thin-layer chromatography and high pressure liquid chromatography, we have found coproporphyrin III, the same porphyrin type previously reported...

Between January and March 1990 we radio-tracked a male Common Kestrel Falco tinnunculus which hunted Pipistrelle Bats Pipistrellus pipistrellus at dusk on 11 of 15 days of observation. Bats left their roosts earlier, and in greater numbers, during fine weather (i.e. high air pressure, no rainfall and low wind speed). The Kestrel showed no interest...

Nest site occupancy by Lesser Kestrels was studied in three colonies located in churches in southern Spain. Occupied nest-holes were located significantly higher than unused potential nest-holes. Precise nest dimensions, on the other hand, seemed to be of secondary importance. As breeding success was positively correlated with the height on the nes...

We used data collected during 1995– 2007 at the only Wildlife Rehabilitation Center on Tenerife Island (Canary Islands) to quantify entanglement mortality of owls. At least 66 of 1,206 Long-eared (Asio otus) and 5 of 231 Barn (Tyto alba) owls admitted to the Wildlife Rehabilitation Center were entangled in burr bristlegrass (Setaria adhaerens). Twe...

In birds, the noncoding control region (CR) and its flanking genes are the only parts of the mitochondrial (mt) genome that have been modified by intragenomic rearrangements. In raptors, two noncoding regions are present: the CR has shifted to a new position with respect to the "ancestral avian gene order," whereas the pseudo-control region (PsiCR)...

Carotenoids may provide numerous health benefits and are also responsible for the integumentary coloration of many bird species. Despite their importance, many aspects of their metabolism are still poorly known, and even basic issues such as the anatomical sites of conversion remain controversial. Recent studies suggest that the transformation of c...

We compared eggshell strength in a group of falcon taxa including the peregrine falcon (Falco peregrinus peregrinus), the red shaheen falcon (F. peregrinus babylonicus), the saker falcon (F. cherrug), the gyr falcon (F. rusticolus) and some interspecific and intraspecific hybrids. Our results showed that smaller falcons (<1,000 g) of the peregrine...

We used microsatellites to assess ongoing captive breeding and reintroduction programs of the lesser kestrel. The extent of genetic variation within the captive populations analysed did not differ significantly from that reported in wild populations. Thus, the application of widely recommended management practices, such as the registration of cross...

En poblaciones de ungulados manejados la intervención humana puede originar situaciones de sobreabundancia (1), como en el caso del ciervo y el jabalí (debido a los cercados cinegéticos, introducción de animales, alimentación suplementaria, etc.), lo cual puede originar problemas de distinta índole, entre ellos los de tipo sanitario (2). Entonces,...

1. The integration of capture-recapture and molecular approaches can improve our understanding of the consequences of habitat fragmentation on population connectivity. Here we employed microsatellites to test dispersal hypotheses derived from intense and long-term ringing programmes of the lesser kestrel Falco naumanni in Western Europe. 2. Re-enco...

Population fragmentation is a widespread phenomenon usually associated with human activity. As a result of habitat transformation, the philopatric and steppe-specialist Lesser Kestrel Falco naumanni underwent a severe population decline during the last century that increased population fragmentation throughout its breeding range. In contrast, the u...

Populations of the wild boar (Sus scrofa) and red deer (Cervus elaphus) have increased during last decades in Mediterranean Spain mainly due to intensive game practices. Subsequently, persistence of tuberculosis (TB) in ungulates may be favoured [1]. An important route of transmission in carnivorous and omnivorous species is the consumption of pote...

Occasional observations of Black-shouldered Kites Elanus caeruleus in Europe date back to the mid-19th century, but it was only recorded as a breeding species in the early 1960s in Portugal and a few years later in neighbouring Spain. This recent colonization, possibly from Africa where the species is abundant, may be due to climate change, land-us...

Carotenoid-based plumage coloration has been shown to be dependent both on pigment content and feather structure. Against this background, we predict a relationship between feather pigment content and plumage hue. Furthermore, given the susceptibility of chroma to developmental perturbation of feather structure, we predict body condition to be rela...

Doñana National Park (DNP) in southern Spain is a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve where commercial hunting and wildlife artificial feeding do not take place and traditional cattle husbandry still exists. Herein, we hypothesized that Mycobacterium bovis infection prevalence in wild ungulates will depend on host ecology and that variation in prevalence will...

It has been suggested that declines in breeding populations of Swainson's hawks (Buteo swainsoni) in California, Oregon, and Nevada may be due to differential mortality of hawks on their wintering grounds. Although massive mortality incidents reported on the wintering grounds partially support this suggestion, there are no data showing differential...