Abstract:
Virulence, the harm to hosts caused by parasite infection, can be selected for by several ecological factors acting synergistically or antagonistically. Here, we focus on the potential for interspecific host competition to shape virulence through such a network of effects. We first summarize how host natural mortality, body mass changes, population density and community diversity affect virulence evolution. We then introduce an initial conceptual framework highlighting how these host factors, which change during host competition, may drive virulence evolution via impacts on life-history trade-offs. We argue that the multi-faceted nature of both interspecific host competition and virulence evolution still requires consideration and experimentation to disentangle contrasting mechanisms. It also necessitates a differential treatment for parasites with various transmission strategies. However, such a comprehensive approach focusing on the role of interspecific host competition is essential to understand the processes driving the evolution of virulence in a tangled bank.
摘要:
毒力,寄生虫感染对宿主的危害,可以通过几个协同或拮抗作用的生态因素来选择。这里,我们关注种间宿主竞争通过这种效应网络塑造毒力的潜力。我们首先总结宿主的自然死亡率,体重变化,种群密度和群落多样性影响毒力进化。然后,我们介绍一个初始的概念框架,强调这些宿主因素,在主持人比赛中发生变化,可能会通过影响生活史的权衡来推动毒力进化。我们认为,种间宿主竞争和毒力进化的多面性仍然需要考虑和实验,以解开对比机制。它还需要通过各种传播策略对寄生虫进行区别对待。然而,这种注重种间宿主竞争作用的综合方法对于理解在纠结的银行中驱动毒力进化的过程至关重要。