Experimental evidence that parasites drive eco-evolutionary feedbacks.

ABSTRACT: Host resistance to parasites is a rapidly evolving trait that can influence how hosts modify ecosystems. Eco-evolutionary feedbacks may develop if the ecosystem effects of host resistance influence selection on subsequent host generations. In a mesocosm experiment, using a recently diverged (<100 generations) pair of lake and stream three-spined sticklebacks, we tested how experimental exposure to a common fish parasite (Gyrodactylus spp.) affects interactions between hosts and their ecosystems in two environmental conditions (low and high nutrients). In both environments, we found that stream sticklebacks were more resistant to Gyrodactylus and had different gene expression profiles than lake sticklebacks. This differential infection led to contrasting effects of stickleback

SUBMITTER: Brunner FS 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5389293 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature