PMID: 9650052Jul 3, 1998Paper

Parasite extinction and colonisation and the evolution of parasite communities: a simulation study

International Journal for Parasitology
W L Vickery, R Poulin

Abstract

We determined what evolutionary processes influence the likelihood of detecting an effect of host ecological characteristics on the richness of parasite communities in comparative analyses among related host species. We used a mathematical model to generate phylogenies of hosts in which parasite communities varied over evolutionary time as parasite species were either gained or lost during host speciation events. Gain or loss of parasites were stochastic and could either be strongly, moderately, weakly, or not, affected by host ecological characteristics. The model was evaluated over this range of effects of host ecology, and for various mean probabilities of parasite gain and loss and various rates of change in host ecological characteristics at speciation events. Our results suggest that phylogenetic effects (the passing of parasite species from mother to daughter host species) are likely to obscure ecological effects (the effect of host body size, diet, habitat, lifespan, etc.) except when the effects of host ecology are strong, and the probabilities of gain or loss of parasites are high, or host ecological characteristics change markedly at speciation events. This outcome was not influenced by the shape of the phylogenetic ...Continue Reading

References

Sep 12, 1995·Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·M G Watve, R Sukumar
Jul 29, 1995·Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological Sciences·M S Hafner, R D Page
Jan 30, 2003·The British Journal of Surgery·B J AmmoriM J McMahon

❮ Previous
Next ❯

Citations

Jul 20, 2011·Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological Sciences·Robert PoulinDavid W Thieltges
Feb 14, 2003·Evolution; International Journal of Organic Evolution·Marek S Zietara, Jaakko Lumme
Feb 18, 2005·The Journal of Parasitology·Sonja MattheeMelodie A McGeoch
Apr 12, 2003·Memórias do Instituto Oswaldo Cruz·Adauto AraújoLuiz Fernando Ferreira
Jul 9, 2002·The Journal of Parasitology·John Janovy
Jun 24, 2004·Evolution; International Journal of Organic Evolution·Andrea SimkováOlivier Verneau
Aug 24, 2013·Parasitology·Hanna HartikainenBeth Okamura
Aug 17, 2012·Parasitology·Rumi ChunaraJohn S Brownstein
Jan 20, 2007·Parasitology·R Poulin

❮ Previous
Next ❯

Related Concepts

Trending Feeds

COVID-19

Coronaviruses encompass a large family of viruses that cause the common cold as well as more serious diseases, such as the ongoing outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19; formally known as 2019-nCoV). Coronaviruses can spread from animals to humans; symptoms include fever, cough, shortness of breath, and breathing difficulties; in more severe cases, infection can lead to death. This feed covers recent research on COVID-19.

Blastomycosis

Blastomycosis fungal infections spread through inhaling Blastomyces dermatitidis spores. Discover the latest research on blastomycosis fungal infections here.

Nuclear Pore Complex in ALS/FTD

Alterations in nucleocytoplasmic transport, controlled by the nuclear pore complex, may be involved in the pathomechanism underlying multiple neurodegenerative diseases including Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and Frontotemporal Dementia. Here is the latest research on the nuclear pore complex in ALS and FTD.

Applications of Molecular Barcoding

The concept of molecular barcoding is that each original DNA or RNA molecule is attached to a unique sequence barcode. Sequence reads having different barcodes represent different original molecules, while sequence reads having the same barcode are results of PCR duplication from one original molecule. Discover the latest research on molecular barcoding here.

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Chronic fatigue syndrome is a disease characterized by unexplained disabling fatigue; the pathology of which is incompletely understood. Discover the latest research on chronic fatigue syndrome here.

Evolution of Pluripotency

Pluripotency refers to the ability of a cell to develop into three primary germ cell layers of the embryo. This feed focuses on the mechanisms that underlie the evolution of pluripotency. Here is the latest research.

Position Effect Variegation

Position Effect Variagation occurs when a gene is inactivated due to its positioning near heterochromatic regions within a chromosome. Discover the latest research on Position Effect Variagation here.

STING Receptor Agonists

Stimulator of IFN genes (STING) are a group of transmembrane proteins that are involved in the induction of type I interferon that is important in the innate immune response. The stimulation of STING has been an active area of research in the treatment of cancer and infectious diseases. Here is the latest research on STING receptor agonists.

Microbicide

Microbicides are products that can be applied to vaginal or rectal mucosal surfaces with the goal of preventing, or at least significantly reducing, the transmission of sexually transmitted infections. Here is the latest research on microbicides.