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The evolution of reduced antagonism—A role for host–parasite coevolution
Author(s) -
Gibson A. K.,
Stoy K. S.,
Gelarden I. A.,
Penley M. J.,
Lively C. M.,
Morran L. T.
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
evolution
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.84
H-Index - 199
eISSN - 1558-5646
pISSN - 0014-3820
DOI - 10.1111/evo.12785
Subject(s) - coevolution , biology , antagonism , experimental evolution , adaptation (eye) , evolutionary biology , host (biology) , antagonistic coevolution , parasite hosting , caenorhabditis elegans , genetics , sexual selection , gene , sexual conflict , neuroscience , receptor , world wide web , computer science
Why do some host–parasite interactions become less antagonistic over evolutionary time? Vertical transmission can select for reduced antagonism. Vertical transmission also promotes coevolution between hosts and parasites. Therefore, we hypothesized that coevolution itself may underlie transitions to reduced antagonism. To test the coevolution hypothesis, we selected for reduced antagonism between the host Caenorhabditis elegans and its parasite Serratia marcescens . This parasite is horizontally transmitted, which allowed us to study coevolution independently of vertical transmission. After 20 generations, we observed a response to selection when coevolution was possible: reduced antagonism evolved in the copassaged treatment. Reduced antagonism, however, did not evolve when hosts or parasites were independently selected without coevolution. In addition, we found strong local adaptation for reduced antagonism between replicate host/parasite lines in the copassaged treatment. Taken together, these results strongly suggest that coevolution was critical to the rapid evolution of reduced antagonism.