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Antagonistic coevolution between hosts and sexually transmitted infections.
1Department of Mathematical Sciences, University of Bath, Bath, BA2 7AY, United Kingdom.
Evolution; International Journal of Organic Evolution
|November 17, 2019
Summary
Mate choice evolves to reduce sexually transmitted infections (STIs) virulence. Host mating strategies and STI evolution are interconnected, with life-history traits influencing coevolutionary outcomes.
Area of Science:
- Evolutionary biology
- Sexual selection
- Infectious disease dynamics
Background:
- Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are theorized to significantly impact host mating strategies and vice versa.
- Previous models demonstrated mate choice can curb STI virulence in chronic, sterilizing infections.
Purpose of the Study:
- To generalize STI coevolution theory to acute infections with mortality or sterility.
- To investigate how host preferences for healthy mates and STI virulence coevolve under varied life-history traits.
Main Methods:
- Theoretical modeling of host-STI coevolution.
- Analysis of acute infections with mortality/sterility and short-term partnerships.
- Examination of varying life-history traits: virulence mode, mate choice costs, recovery rates, and host lifespan.
Main Results:
- Mate choice effectively reduces both mortality and sterility virulence.
- Coevolutionary outcomes differ based on virulence type, mate choice costs, recovery rates, and host lifespan.
- Fluctuating selection is probable with moderate lifespans, sterility-inducing STIs, and low mate choice costs.
Conclusions:
- Host mate choice and STI virulence are dynamically linked, influenced by diverse life-history traits.
- Parasite-mediated sexual selection may drive host mate choice evolution.
- Host mate choice acts as a constraint on the evolution of STI virulence.
Keywords:
Fluctuating selectionSTDhost-parasitemate choiceparasite-mediated sexual selectionvirulenceMore Related Videos
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