Pleiotropic effects of melanin pigmentation: Haemoparasite infection intensity but not telomere length is associated with morph in black sparrowhawks

There is increasing recognition of the potential pleiotropic effects of melanin pigmentation, particularly on immunity, with reports of variation in haemoparasite infection intensity and immune responses between morphs of colour polymorphic bird species. In a population of the black sparrowhawk (Accipiter melanoleucus) in western South Africa, light morphs have a higher haemoparasite infection intensity, but no obvious fitness costs of this are apparent. Here we investigate the possible physiological costs of haemoparasite infection using telomere length as a biomarker, and explore whether telomere length is associated with either morph or sex. Using quantitative PCR, we confirmed that dark morphs had lower haemoparasite infection intensity than light morphs. Adults have significantly shorter telomeres than nestlings, but we found no differences in telomere length associated with either haemoparasite infection status or morph in adults, though males have longer telomeres than females. W..., Full details on data collection and processing are provided in the manuscript., , # Pleiotropic effects of melanin pigmentation: haemoparasite infection intensity but not telomere length is associated with morph in black sparrowhawks

[https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.vhhmgqp21](https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.vhhmgqp21)

## Description of the data and file structure

Experimental data and the R code used for the analyses detailed in the methods section of Rodseth et al. \"Pleiotropic effects of melanin pigmentation: haemoparasite infection intensity but not telomere length is associated with morph in black sparrowhawks\" are provided. The dataset consists of haemoparasite infection intensity values, as determined by blood slide analysis and quantitative PCR (qPCR) analyses, as well as relative telomere length as determined by qPCR. There are four files in total:

**File 1 - Experimental data generated during the project (Experimental data_Rodseth.xlsx)**

This file contains the haemoparasite intensities as determined by microscopy analysis of blood slides (for the 68/89 bi...