Thomas F., Poulin R., Guégan Jean-François, Michalakis Y., Renaud F. (2000). Are there pros as well as cons to being parasitized ?. Parasitology Today, 16 (12), p. 533-536. ISSN 0169-4758.
Titre du document
Are there pros as well as cons to being parasitized ?
Année de publication
2000
Type de document
Article
Auteurs
Thomas F., Poulin R., Guégan Jean-François, Michalakis Y., Renaud F.
Source
Parasitology Today, 2000,
16 (12), p. 533-536 ISSN 0169-4758
The diversity of ways in which parasites reduce the fitness of their hosts has been documented during the past decades, and clearly indicates that parasites can often be considered as direct agents of selection. In natural systems, however, the outcome of a host-parasite interaction might be strongly determined by other ecological factors. Parasites can be detrimental to host fitness in one environment, whereas they can be beneficial to it in another. From an evolutionary perspective, this phenomenon is of considerable importance for understanding the dynamics of coevolution among geographically structured populations evolving under different ecological pressures. Here, Frédéric Thomas and colleagues review several ecological situations in which parasitized individuals enjoy a selective advantage over unparasitized conspecifics. (Résumé d'auteur)
