Evolutionary Ecology of Parasites

This excellent book offers much food for thought. The scholarship is as sound as any one human can make it, and the smooth writing carries one along nicely. Evolutionary Ecology of Parasites will not only be a valuable resource in graduate seminars, it will also help researchers get a handle on the literature and the major questions in the field. -- Janice Moore, Colorado State University, author of "Parasites and the Behavior of Animals" This is an important book. I am glad there is someone out there with the brains and guts to tackle the diverse body of literature summarized here. -- Dale H. Clayton, University of Utah

Parasites have become a powerful model system for the study of ecology and evolution, with practical applications in disease prevention. This work presents an evolutionary framework for the study of parasite biology, combining theory with empirical examples for a broader understanding of why parasites are as they are and do what they do.Parasites have evolved independently in numerous animal lineages, and they now make up a considerable proportion of the biodiversity of life. Not only do they impact humans and other animals in fundamental ways, but in recent years they have become a powerful model system for the study of ecology and evolution, with practical applications in disease prevention. Here, in a thoroughly revised and updated edition of his influential earlier work, Robert Poulin provides an evolutionary ecologist's view of the biology of parasites. He sets forth a comprehensive synthesis of parasite evolutionary ecology, integrating information across scales from the features of individual parasites to the dynamics of parasite populations and the structuring of parasite communities. Evolutionary Ecology of Parasites presents an evolutionary framework for the study of parasite biology, combining theory with empirical examples for a broader understanding of why parasites are as they are and do what they do. An up-to-date synthesis of the field, the book is an ideal teaching tool for advanced courses on the subject. Pointing toward promising directions and setting a research agenda, it will also be an invaluable reference for researchers who seek to extend our knowledge of parasite ecology and evolution.