Local adaptation and host specificity to copepod intermediate hosts by the tapeworm Schistocephalus solidus.

ABSTRACT: Host-parasite coevolution may lead to patterns of local adaptation in either the host or parasite. For parasites with complex multi-host life cycles, this coevolution may be more challenging as they must adapt to multiple geographically varying hosts. The tapeworm Schistocephalus solidus exhibits some local adaptation to its second intermediate host, threespine stickleback, to which the parasite is strictly specialized. However, the tapeworm's adaptation to its first intermediate host (any of a number of copepod species) is not documented. We investigated if there was local adaptation and host specify in the tapeworm Schistocephalus solidus to its copepod first intermediate hosts. We exposed copepods from five lakes in Vancouver Island (BC, Canada) to local (i.e. same lake) a

SUBMITTER: Shim KC 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10242650 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature