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Embracing Colonizations : A New Paradigm for Species Association Dynamics

Nylin, Sören ; Agosta, Salvatore ; Bensch, Staffan LU orcid ; Boeger, Walter A. ; Braga, Mariana P. ; Brooks, Daniel R. ; Forister, Matthew L. ; Hambäck, Peter A. ; Hoberg, Eric P. and Nyman, Tommi , et al. (2018) In Trends in Ecology and Evolution 33(1). p.4-14
Abstract

Parasite-host and insect-plant research have divergent traditions despite the fact that most phytophagous insects live parasitically on their host plants. In parasitology it is a traditional assumption that parasites are typically highly specialized; cospeciation between parasites and hosts is a frequently expressed default expectation. Insect-plant theory has been more concerned with host shifts than with cospeciation, and more with hierarchies among hosts than with extreme specialization. We suggest that the divergent assumptions in the respective fields have hidden a fundamental similarity with an important role for potential as well as actual hosts, and hence for host colonizations via ecological fitting. A common research program... (More)

Parasite-host and insect-plant research have divergent traditions despite the fact that most phytophagous insects live parasitically on their host plants. In parasitology it is a traditional assumption that parasites are typically highly specialized; cospeciation between parasites and hosts is a frequently expressed default expectation. Insect-plant theory has been more concerned with host shifts than with cospeciation, and more with hierarchies among hosts than with extreme specialization. We suggest that the divergent assumptions in the respective fields have hidden a fundamental similarity with an important role for potential as well as actual hosts, and hence for host colonizations via ecological fitting. A common research program is proposed which better prepares us for the challenges from introduced species and global change. Parasites are typically assumed to be highly specialized on their hosts and well adapted to them, yet they frequently colonize new hosts - including humans, causing EIDs.This parasite paradox has caused a growing unease with the traditional assumptions in parasitology, which differ markedly from those in the field of insect-plant studies.We report the results of a workshop where parasitologists and insect-plant researchers met to explore the possibility that the two systems may be more similar than the divergent research traditions suggest, so that a common research program can be developed to better prepare us for future challenges.

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organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Cospeciation, Emerging infectious disease, Global change, Parasites, Phytophagy, Species associations
in
Trends in Ecology and Evolution
volume
33
issue
1
pages
4 - 14
publisher
Elsevier
external identifiers
  • pmid:29113696
  • scopus:85032822101
ISSN
0169-5347
DOI
10.1016/j.tree.2017.10.005
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
c3d58ec0-4251-4a6f-ad39-5449d4b116d7
date added to LUP
2017-11-15 09:37:23
date last changed
2025-04-15 08:16:17
@article{c3d58ec0-4251-4a6f-ad39-5449d4b116d7,
  abstract     = {{<p>Parasite-host and insect-plant research have divergent traditions despite the fact that most phytophagous insects live parasitically on their host plants. In parasitology it is a traditional assumption that parasites are typically highly specialized; cospeciation between parasites and hosts is a frequently expressed default expectation. Insect-plant theory has been more concerned with host shifts than with cospeciation, and more with hierarchies among hosts than with extreme specialization. We suggest that the divergent assumptions in the respective fields have hidden a fundamental similarity with an important role for potential as well as actual hosts, and hence for host colonizations via ecological fitting. A common research program is proposed which better prepares us for the challenges from introduced species and global change. Parasites are typically assumed to be highly specialized on their hosts and well adapted to them, yet they frequently colonize new hosts - including humans, causing EIDs.This parasite paradox has caused a growing unease with the traditional assumptions in parasitology, which differ markedly from those in the field of insect-plant studies.We report the results of a workshop where parasitologists and insect-plant researchers met to explore the possibility that the two systems may be more similar than the divergent research traditions suggest, so that a common research program can be developed to better prepare us for future challenges.</p>}},
  author       = {{Nylin, Sören and Agosta, Salvatore and Bensch, Staffan and Boeger, Walter A. and Braga, Mariana P. and Brooks, Daniel R. and Forister, Matthew L. and Hambäck, Peter A. and Hoberg, Eric P. and Nyman, Tommi and Schäpers, Alexander and Stigall, Alycia L. and Wheat, Christopher W. and Österling, Martin and Janz, Niklas}},
  issn         = {{0169-5347}},
  keywords     = {{Cospeciation; Emerging infectious disease; Global change; Parasites; Phytophagy; Species associations}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{1}},
  pages        = {{4--14}},
  publisher    = {{Elsevier}},
  series       = {{Trends in Ecology and Evolution}},
  title        = {{Embracing Colonizations : A New Paradigm for Species Association Dynamics}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.tree.2017.10.005}},
  doi          = {{10.1016/j.tree.2017.10.005}},
  volume       = {{33}},
  year         = {{2018}},
}