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PARASITES AT CENTER STAGE 1 2
Author(s) -
Bull J. J.,
Ebert Dieter
Publication year - 2003
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/j.0014-3820.2003.tb00279.x
Subject(s) - center (category theory) , biology , section (typography) , library science , stage (stratigraphy) , humanities , genealogy , art history , history , philosophy , paleontology , computer science , chemistry , crystallography , operating system
Parasites provide some of the best fodder for evolutionary biologists today. Many parasites have such short generation times that they evolve in real time, allowing direct observation of their adaptations. Large parts of their genomes are easily accessed with molecular methods. And for parasites of humans or pests of agriculture, there is the added bonus of social relevance and the consequent possibility that lots of data are already available and more will be forthcoming. For example, the vast majority of organisms fully sequenced are pathogens. These features have inspired many evolutionary biologists with classical roots to shift or expand careers into the evolutionary biology of parasites, and to encourage their students to work in this area as well. The two books reviewed here contribute to the expanding exploration of parasite evolution. As a pair, they illustrate how rich and broad this landscape is because virtually no overlap exists between them. The book written by Steven Frank addresses the molecular details of pathogen (mostly viral) evolution with its arms race against the vertebrate immune system. The book edited by Dieckmann et al. is a collection of topics loosely connected by the concept of virulence management, spanning from population dynamics and epidemiology to evolution.