Response to Strona & Fattorini: are generalist parasites being lost from their hosts?

Maxwell J Farrell; Patrick R Stephens; T Jonathan Davies

doi:10.1111/1365-2656.12470

Response to Strona & Fattorini: are generalist parasites being lost from their hosts?

J Anim Ecol. 2016 May;85(3):624-7. doi: 10.1111/1365-2656.12470. Epub 2016 Jan 11.

Authors

Maxwell J Farrell¹, Patrick R Stephens², T Jonathan Davies^{1

3}

Affiliations

¹ Biology Department, McGill University, 1205 Docteur Penfield, Montreal, QC, H3A 1B1, Canada.
² Odum School of Ecology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, 30602, USA.
³ African Centre for DNA Barcoding, University of Johannesburg, PO Box 524, Auckland Park, 2006, Johannesburg, South Africa.

PMID: 26751600
DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.12470

Abstract

We respond to criticism of our recent paper by examining assumptions about the structure of host-parasite networks, and discuss the implications of host extinction on our perception of parasite specificity.

Keywords: asymmetry of interactions; coextinction; conservation; host range; host specificity; infectious disease; macroecology; parasite richness.

Publication types

Letter
Comment

MeSH terms

Animals
Host-Parasite Interactions*
Parasites*