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Host Longevity And Parasite Species Richness In Mammals, Jason M. Kamilar, Natalie Cooper, Charles L. Nunn
Host Longevity And Parasite Species Richness In Mammals, Jason M. Kamilar, Natalie Cooper, Charles L. Nunn
Anthropology Department Faculty Publication Series
Hosts and parasites co-evolve, with each lineage exerting selective pressures on the other. Thus, parasites may influence host life-history characteristics, such as longevity, and simultaneously host life-history may influence parasite diversity. If parasite burden causes increased mortality, we expect a negative association between host longevity and parasite species richness. Alternatively, if long-lived species represent a more stable environment for parasite establishment, host longevity and parasite species richness may show a positive association. We tested these two opposing predictions in carnivores, primates and terrestrial ungulates using phylogenetic comparative methods and controlling for the potentially confounding effects of sampling effort and body …