Resource-driven changes to host population stability alter the evolution of virulence and transmission.

ABSTRACT: What drives the evolution of parasite life-history traits? Recent studies suggest that linking within- and between-host processes can provide key insight into both disease dynamics and parasite evolution. Still, it remains difficult to understand how to pinpoint the critical factors connecting these cross-scale feedbacks, particularly under non-equilibrium conditions; many natural host populations inherently fluctuate and parasites themselves can strongly alter the stability of host populations. Here, we develop a general model framework that mechanistically links resources to parasite evolution across a gradient of stable and unstable conditions. First, we dynamically link resources and between-host processes (host density, stability, transmission) to virulence evolution, using a 'non-nes

SUBMITTER: Hite JL 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5882993 | biostudies-literature | 2018 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature