Spatial clustering of hosts can favor specialist parasites
Abstract Generalist parasites seem to enjoy the clear ecological advantage of a greater chance to find a host, and genetic trade‐offs are therefore often invoked to explain why specialists can coexist with or outcompete generalists. Here we develop an alternative perspective based on optimal foragin...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Wiley
2024-11-01
|
| Series: | Ecology and Evolution |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.70273 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1846115012188307456 |
|---|---|
| author | Jeremy Draghi Evan Zook |
| author_facet | Jeremy Draghi Evan Zook |
| author_sort | Jeremy Draghi |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Generalist parasites seem to enjoy the clear ecological advantage of a greater chance to find a host, and genetic trade‐offs are therefore often invoked to explain why specialists can coexist with or outcompete generalists. Here we develop an alternative perspective based on optimal foraging theory to explain why spatial clustering can favor specialists even without genetic trade‐offs. Using analytical and simulation models inspired by bacteriophage, we examine the optimal use of two hosts, one yielding greater reproductive success for the parasite than the other. We find that a phage may optimally ignore the worse host when the two hosts are clustered together in dense, ephemeral patches. We model conditions that enhance or reduce this selective benefit to a specialist parasite and show that it is eliminated entirely when the hosts occur only in separate patches. These results show that specialists can be favored even when trade‐offs are weak or absent and emphasize the importance of spatiotemporal heterogeneity in models of optimal niche breadth. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-3f76e0020e5d4459b33c72263ca9fa65 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2045-7758 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-11-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Ecology and Evolution |
| spelling | doaj-art-3f76e0020e5d4459b33c72263ca9fa652024-12-20T04:20:57ZengWileyEcology and Evolution2045-77582024-11-011411n/an/a10.1002/ece3.70273Spatial clustering of hosts can favor specialist parasitesJeremy Draghi0Evan Zook1Department of Biological Sciences Virginia Tech Blacksburg Virginia USADepartment of Biological Sciences Virginia Tech Blacksburg Virginia USAAbstract Generalist parasites seem to enjoy the clear ecological advantage of a greater chance to find a host, and genetic trade‐offs are therefore often invoked to explain why specialists can coexist with or outcompete generalists. Here we develop an alternative perspective based on optimal foraging theory to explain why spatial clustering can favor specialists even without genetic trade‐offs. Using analytical and simulation models inspired by bacteriophage, we examine the optimal use of two hosts, one yielding greater reproductive success for the parasite than the other. We find that a phage may optimally ignore the worse host when the two hosts are clustered together in dense, ephemeral patches. We model conditions that enhance or reduce this selective benefit to a specialist parasite and show that it is eliminated entirely when the hosts occur only in separate patches. These results show that specialists can be favored even when trade‐offs are weak or absent and emphasize the importance of spatiotemporal heterogeneity in models of optimal niche breadth.https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.70273host–parasitemodelingniche evolutionoptimal foraging theoryphage |
| spellingShingle | Jeremy Draghi Evan Zook Spatial clustering of hosts can favor specialist parasites Ecology and Evolution host–parasite modeling niche evolution optimal foraging theory phage |
| title | Spatial clustering of hosts can favor specialist parasites |
| title_full | Spatial clustering of hosts can favor specialist parasites |
| title_fullStr | Spatial clustering of hosts can favor specialist parasites |
| title_full_unstemmed | Spatial clustering of hosts can favor specialist parasites |
| title_short | Spatial clustering of hosts can favor specialist parasites |
| title_sort | spatial clustering of hosts can favor specialist parasites |
| topic | host–parasite modeling niche evolution optimal foraging theory phage |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.70273 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT jeremydraghi spatialclusteringofhostscanfavorspecialistparasites AT evanzook spatialclusteringofhostscanfavorspecialistparasites |