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Experimental coevolution leads to a decrease in parasite‐induced host mortality
Author(s) -
BÉRÉNOS C.,
SCHMIDHEMPEL P.,
WEGNER K. M.
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
journal of evolutionary biology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.289
H-Index - 128
eISSN - 1420-9101
pISSN - 1010-061X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1420-9101.2011.02306.x
Subject(s) - coevolution , biology , host (biology) , parasite hosting , experimental evolution , virulence , antagonistic coevolution , evolutionary biology , nosema , zoology , genetics , gene , microsporidia , sexual selection , sexual conflict , microbiology and biotechnology , spore , world wide web , computer science
Host–parasite coevolution can lead to a variety of outcomes, but whereas experimental studies on clonal populations have taken prominence over the last years, experimental studies on obligately out‐crossing organisms are virtually absent so far. Therefore, we set up a coevolution experiment using four genetically distinct lines of Tribolium castaneum and its natural obligately killing microsporidian parasite, Nosema whitei. After 13 generations of experimental coevolution, we employed a time‐shift experiment infecting hosts from the current generation with parasites from nine different time points in coevolutionary history. Although initially parasite‐induced mortality showed synchronized fluctuations across lines, a general decrease over time was observed, potentially reflecting evolution towards optimal levels of virulence or a failure to adapt to coevolving sexual hosts.