Life history and mating systems select for male biased parasitism mediated through natural selection and ecological feedbacks - Archive ouverte HAL Accéder directement au contenu
Article Dans Une Revue Journal of Theoretical Biology Année : 2010

Life history and mating systems select for male biased parasitism mediated through natural selection and ecological feedbacks

Résumé

Males are often the 'sicker' sex with male biased parasitism found in a taxonomically diverse range of species. There is considerable interest in the processes that could underlie the evolution of sex-biased parasitism. Mating system differences along with differences in lifespan may play a key role. We examine whether these factors are likely to lead to male-biased parasitism through natural selection taking into account the critical role that ecological feedbacks play in the evolution of defence. We use a host-parasite model with two-sexes and the techniques of adaptive dynamics to investigate how mating system and sexual differences in competitive ability and longevity can select for a bias in the rates of parasitism. Male-biased parasitism is selected for when males have a shorter average lifespan or when males are subject to greater competition for resources. Male-biased parasitism evolves as a consequence of sexual differences in life history that produce a greater proportion of susceptible females than males and therefore reduce the cost of avoiding parasitism in males. Different mating systems such as monogamy, polygyny or polyandry did not produce a bias in parasitism through these ecological feedbacks but may accentuate an existing bias.
Fichier principal
Vignette du fichier
PEER_stage2_10.1016%2Fj.jtbi.2010.10.004.pdf (531.09 Ko) Télécharger le fichier
Origine : Fichiers produits par l'(les) auteur(s)

Dates et versions

hal-00653678 , version 1 (20-12-2011)

Identifiants

Citer

Flora S. Bacelar, Andrew White, Mike Boots. Life history and mating systems select for male biased parasitism mediated through natural selection and ecological feedbacks. Journal of Theoretical Biology, 2010, 269 (1), pp.131. ⟨10.1016/j.jtbi.2010.10.004⟩. ⟨hal-00653678⟩

Collections

PEER
52 Consultations
38 Téléchargements

Altmetric

Partager

Gmail Facebook X LinkedIn More