Host and parasite identity interact in scale-dependent fashion to determine parasite community structure.

ABSTRACT: Understanding the ecological assembly of parasite communities is critical to characterise how changing host and environmental landscapes will alter infection dynamics and outcomes. However, studies frequently assume that (a) closely related parasite species or those with identical life-history strategies are functionally equivalent, and (b) the same factors will drive infection dynamics for a single parasite across multiple host species, oversimplifying community assembly patterns. Here, we challenge these two assumptions using a naturally occurring host-parasite system, with the mussel Anodonta anatina infected by the digenean trematode Echinoparyphium recurvatum, and the snail Viviparus viviparus infected by both E. recurvatum and Echinostoma sp. By analysing the impact of temporal paras

SUBMITTER: Brian JI 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10830602 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature