Martin KalbeMax Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology Plönhttp://www.evolbio.mpg.de/people/staff/wissPersonal/wissM9/index.html |
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Sticklebacks and worms - what we can learn from small fish about host-parasite coevolution |
| The Red Queen Hypothesis describes the relationship between hosts and parasites as an evolutionary arms race, in which both partners continuously have to adapt to each other in order to maintain their own fitness. Hence, parasites can be regarded as one of the most rapidly changing selective factors in animal populations. However, distribution and species composition of parasites are very heterogenous and depend on various ecological and envi-ronmental factors. We are using the three-spined stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus) as a vertebrate model organism to study the evolution of host-parasite interactions on a small geographical scale. In northern Germany sticklebacks e.g. from river and lake populations can be regarded as genetically distinct ecotypes, which also harbour different habitat-specific parasites. Since 2001 we have monitored different stickleback populations and their macroparasite infections every year/generation. In order to investigate adaptations of the hosts, we ana-lysed basic immune functions of sticklebacks from different populations, exposed to several sympatric and allopatric parasites, either in lab infection experiments or in enclosure studies in the field. Our results indicate an adaptation of sticklebacks to their sympatric parasite fauna, which probably favours local over immigrant individuals in their competition for resources and mat-ing partners. This might lead ultimately to reproductive isolation of host populations. |
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Ort |
| 11.03.2009 15:00 Uhr Großer Hörsaal |
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