Migrating birds avoid tropical diseases
researcher at Lund University in Sweden, said, “What really surprises me is that the immune systems of migratory birds show a similarly low variation to that of European sedentary birds.
“After all, migratory birds don’t only need to resist diseases in Europe, but also during their migration and in the tropics.”
Researchers said their findings, published in the journal Nature Ecology and Evolution, suggest scientists have underestimated the drawbacks of a strong and complex immune system.
Hardier immune systems increase the risk of autoimmunity and other immune system disorders like chronic inflammation.
Young birds, being exposed to diseases for the first time, are most at risk, but because migratory birds leave Africa to birth and raise their young, they’re able to minimize risk without adopting a complex immune system.
Researcher Emily O’connor said, “When the migratory birds breed, they have moved away from many diseases and therefore do not need an immune system that is equally varied.
“Another advantage is that the risk of damage caused by the immune system drops considerably if the immune system is less complex.”
Because avian immune systems are built up similarly to human immune systems, the research could offer new ways of understanding the evolution of the human immune system.