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Updated: Dec 20, 2025

Probing the Limits of Egg Recognition Using Egg Rejection Experiments Along Phenotypic Gradients
Published on: August 22, 2018
Earlier parasite arrival reduces the repeatability of host adaptive radiation
Jiaqi Tan1,2, Xian Yang3, Qixin He4
1School of Biological Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, 30332, USA. jiaqi.tan@pitt.edu.
Abstract:
Although parasites are known to have various effects on their hosts, we know little about their role in the assembly of diversifying host populations. Using an experimental bacterium (Pseudomonas fluorescens SBW25)-bacteriophage (ϕ2) system, we show that earlier parasite arrival significantly reduced the repeatability of host diversification. Earlier parasite arrival amplified the priority effects associated with the stochastic emergence of novel SBW25 phenotypes, translating into greater historical contingency in SBW25 diversification. Our results highlight the important role of parasite-host interactions in driving host adaptive radiation.
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