Of predators, parasites, and fickle friends

When we think about food undoubtedly we are the protagonists, the eaters. However, within the broader biological context our own bodies are also living meals for a myriad of parasites. It is often through the very food we eat that we animals become unsuspecting hosts to a variety of parasites, and thus links within the wider food chain. As unappetizing as they are, these trophic connections are as significant as they are profound. Indeed, much of what biologists have come to know about the complex ecology and evolution of life on the planet over the last 4.5 billion years is premised on the dynamics of eating and being eaten. Whether a relationship is symbiotic or in fact parasitic between species can be a very fuzzy line and is often a matter of looking at the remarkable gustatory details. With an ecological perspective on the wider world of eating, our notions of “food” take on new meaning.