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Inference of parasite local adaptation using two different fitness components

Refardt, D. and Ebert, Dieter. (2007) Inference of parasite local adaptation using two different fitness components. Journal of Evolutionary Biology, 20 (3). pp. 921-929.

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Official URL: https://edoc.unibas.ch/80868/

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Abstract

Estimating parasite fitness is central to studies aiming to understand parasite evolution. Theoretical models generally use the basic reproductive rate R-0 to express fitness, yet it is very difficult to quantify R-0 empirically and experimental studies often use fitness components such as infection intensity or infectivity as substitutes. These surrogate measures may be biased in several ways. We assessed local adaptation of the microsporidium Ordospora colligata to its host, the crustacean Daphnia magna using two different parasite fitness components: infection persistence over several host generations in experimental populations and infection intensity in individual hosts. We argue that infection persistence is a close estimator of R-0, whereas infection intensity measures only a component of it. Both measures show a pattern that is consistent with parasite local adaptation and they correlate positively. However, several inconsistencies between them suggest that infection intensity may at times provide an inadequate estimate of parasite fitness.
Faculties and Departments:05 Faculty of Science > Departement Umweltwissenschaften > Integrative Biologie > Evolutionary Biology (Ebert)
UniBasel Contributors:Ebert, Dieter
Item Type:Article, refereed
Article Subtype:Research Article
Publisher:Blackwell
ISSN:1010-061X
e-ISSN:1420-9101
Note:Publication type according to Uni Basel Research Database: Journal article
Identification Number:
Last Modified:11 Jul 2023 07:21
Deposited On:22 Jun 2021 11:42

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