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GENETIC DIVERSITY AND CAPILLARIA HEPATICA (NEMATODA) PREVALENCE IN MICHIGAN DEER MOUSE POPULATIONS
Author(s) -
Meagher Shawn
Publication year - 1999
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.1558-5646.1999.tb04547.x
Subject(s) - biology , peromyscus , genetic diversity , loss of heterozygosity , population , deer mouse , parasitism , zoology , lungworm , capillaria , parasite hosting , veterinary medicine , ecology , helminths , genetics , host (biology) , allele , gene , demography , sociology , medicine , world wide web , computer science
There have been few field tests of the hypothesis that homozygous populations are prone to high levels of disease. I tested for a negative correlation between genetic diversity and parasitism by estimating the allozyme heterozygosity, population density, and proportion of individuals infected by Capillaria hepatica (Nematoda) in nine Michigan populations of deer mice ( Peromyscus maniculatus ). Parasite prevalence was correlated negatively with heterozygosity when the effects of density were held constant, but was not correlated with population density after controlling for the effects of genetic diversity. These data support the prediction that inbred populations will be more susceptible to parasite infestations.