Bi5613 Evolution and ecology of parasites

Faculty of Science
Spring 2023
Extent and Intensity
2/0/0. 2 credit(s) (plus extra credits for completion). Type of Completion: zk (examination).
Teacher(s)
prof. RNDr. Andrea Vetešníková Šimková, PhD. (lecturer)
Guaranteed by
prof. RNDr. Andrea Vetešníková Šimková, PhD.
Department of Botany and Zoology – Biology Section – Faculty of Science
Contact Person: prof. RNDr. Andrea Vetešníková Šimková, PhD.
Supplier department: Department of Botany and Zoology – Biology Section – Faculty of Science
Timetable
Wed 9:00–10:50 D31/238
Prerequisites (in Czech)
Bi8150 Evolutionary biology
Bi6340 Ekologie společ. a makroekol. && Bi8150 Evoluční biologie
Course Enrolment Limitations
The course is also offered to the students of the fields other than those the course is directly associated with.
fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with
Course objectives
The aim of the course is to explain to students the host-parasite associations and processes generating associations from an ecological point of view as well to explain the causes of these associations from an evolutionary point of view. The central theme is the analysis of parasite biology from the perspective of evolutionary biology and ecology.
Learning outcomes
At the end of the course the student will be able: to interpret host-parasitic associations i.e. to describe and explain the cause of these associations, explain the nature of parasitism and mechanisms of changes from free-living to parasitic organism, to describe basic abiotic and biotic factors influencing parasitic infection rate, to define parasitic population levels and describe basic models of host- parasite population dynamics, to analyze the most important aspects of parasitic life history, to explain how parasites manipulate their hosts, to define the level of parasitic communities, to describe and explain their laws and principles of interspecific interactions, to present basic knowledge of parasitic diversity and to analyze its determinants, to describe the coevolutionary interactions in the host-parasite system and to interpret the role of parasite in the evolution of the reproduction and immunity of the host.
Syllabus
  • (1) Evolutionary-ecological approach to the study of parasites. Ecological definition of parasitism. Evolutionary success of the parasites. Ecological delimitation of parasitism - detailed presentation of the theme. Independent origin and evolution of parasitism - regression evolution, changes in genome, changes in organ structures, changes in reproductive investment, evolution of development cycles. (2) Ecology of parasites - the influence of abiotic (temperature, seasonal variability) and biotic factors (size, age, gender, social behavior, nutritional strategies, physiology and immunity, host genetics, density of the host population). Combined factors effects. (3) Distribution of parasites. Classification of parasitic populations. Distribution in the parasite population. Aggregation - causes and consequences. Quantification of aggregation. Aggregation as a parasite strategy. (4) Host-parasite population dynamics. Epidemiological models. Regulation of parasite populations - regulatory mechanisms and exemplary studies. The relationship between prevalence and abundance from the perspective of epidemiology. (5) Evolution of life strategies of parasites. Theory of life history components, trade-off. Diversity of parasites and components of the life history of hosts. Basic elements of the life history of parasites - body size, age at reproduction and fecundity (egg production). Compromises and strategy of egg production in parasites. (6) Parasitic strategy of host utilization - evolution of virulence, host behavior manipulated by parasites, manipulation of host reproduction and host sex ratio. (7) Host specificity - definition of host specificity, sampling problem, delimitation of host specificity - basic, structural, phylogenetic and geographic. Host specificity in macroevolution and microevolution processes. Host specificity and morphological adaptation. Evolution of host specificity. Observed patterns of host specificity. Ecological specialization. (8) Parasitic communities - levels of parasitic communities, structure and patterns, community similarities, roles of host. Basic evaluation of data of parasitic communities. (9) Interaction of parasites. Ecological niche - basic and realized. Numerical and functional response to competition. Interactive and non-interactive communities of parasites. Saturation of niches and heterogeneity of niches in parasites. Dimensions of ecological niche in parasites. Mechanisms of niche segregation. Evolutionary restriction of niches in parasites. Quantification of ecological niches. Inter-species coexistence and aggregation of parasites. (10) Diversity of parasites. Determinants of parasite diversity. Effect of sample size to estimate parasitic diversity. Influence of host phylogenetic affinity for the analysis of parasite diversity determinants. Diversity of parasites versus host diversity, host habitat type and diet. Classic views on the determinants of parasitic diversity - latitude gradient, area size, epidemiology theory. New perspectives on the determinants of parasite diversity - host society, home region, diversity of immune genes. Biogeographic aspects of parasite diversity. (11) Evolution of host-parasitic relationships. Coevolution and co-evolutionary models. Parasite speciation - applications of phylogenetic reconstructions for the study of parasite speciation. Influence of the parasites on the evolutionary biology of the host - the role of the parasite in the evolution of the sexual reproduction of the host and in the sexual selection (12) Immuno-ecology of host-parasitic relationships. Immune system of vertebrates, immunocompetence measurements. Immunity as a component of host life history. Evolution of immune genes - MHC polymorphism. Parasite-mediated selection and sexual selection of MHC genes.
Literature
    required literature
  • POULIN, Robert. Evolutionary ecology of parasites. 2nd ed. Princeton, N.J.: Princeton University Press, 2007, x, 332. ISBN 9780691120850. info
    recommended literature
  • Thomas F., Renaud F., Guegan J. A. 2005. Parasitism and Ecosystems. Oxford University Press.
  • Poulin R, Morand S, Skorping A. 2000. Evolutionary biology of host-parasites relationships: theory meets reality. Elsevier, Amsterdam.
  • Clayton DH, Moore J. 1997. Host - Parasite evolution. General Principles & Avian Models. Oxford University Press, Oxford.
  • Morand, S. & Krasnov, B.R. 2010. The Biogeography of Host-Parasite Interactions.Oxford University Press, Oxford.
  • Poulin R, Morand S. 2004. Parasite Biodiversity. Smithsonian Books, Washington,
  • Poulin R, Morand S. 2004. The parasite biodiversity. Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington.
  • FLEGR, Jaroslav. Evoluční biologie. Vyd. 1. Praha: Academia, 2005, 559 s. ISBN 8020012702. info
Teaching methods
lectures
Assessment methods
oral exam
Language of instruction
Czech
Further comments (probably available only in Czech)
Study Materials
The course is taught once in two years.
Information on the per-term frequency of the course: Předmět je vypisován v jarním semestru lichých let (2015, 2017, ...).
General note: Předmět nebude otevírán každoročně. Předmět bude otevírán podle počtu nahlášených studentů.
The course is also listed under the following terms Autumn 2011 - acreditation, Spring 2013, Spring 2015, Spring 2017, Spring 2019, Spring 2021, Spring 2025.
  • Enrolment Statistics (Spring 2023, recent)
  • Permalink: https://is.muni.cz/course/sci/spring2023/Bi5613