TY - JOUR

T1 - Are there general rules governing parasite diversity? Small mammalian hosts and gamasid mite assemblages

AU - Korallo, Natalia P.

AU - Vinarski, Maxim V.

AU - Krasnov, Boris R.

AU - Shenbrot, Georgy I.

AU - Mouillot, David

AU - Poulin, Robert

PY - 2007/5/1

Y1 - 2007/5/1

N2 - Parasite biodiversity varies on several scales, and in particular among different host species. Previous attempts at finding relationships between host features and the diversity of the parasite assemblages they harbour have yielded inconsistent results, suggesting strongly that any patterns might be taxon-specific. Here, we examined the potential of three host characteristics (host body mass, basal metabolic rate, and area of the geographical range) as determinants of parasite diversity in one group of ectoparasites, gamasid mites (superfamily Dermanyssoidea), using data from 63 species of small mammalian hosts. Our analyses used three measures of parasite diversity (species richness, the Shannon diversity index, and average taxonomic distinctness), and controlled for sampling effort and phylogenetic influences. Although several significant relationships were observed, they depended entirely on which diversity measure was used, or on which host taxon was investigated (insectivores vs. rodents and lagomorphs). In addition, the present results on patterns of mite diversity were not consistent with those of an earlier study involving roughly the same host taxa and the same biogeographical area, but a different group of ectoparasites, i.e. fleas. Thus, there appears to be no universal determinant of parasite diversity, and associations between host features and parasite diversity probably evolve independently in different host-parasite systems.

AB - Parasite biodiversity varies on several scales, and in particular among different host species. Previous attempts at finding relationships between host features and the diversity of the parasite assemblages they harbour have yielded inconsistent results, suggesting strongly that any patterns might be taxon-specific. Here, we examined the potential of three host characteristics (host body mass, basal metabolic rate, and area of the geographical range) as determinants of parasite diversity in one group of ectoparasites, gamasid mites (superfamily Dermanyssoidea), using data from 63 species of small mammalian hosts. Our analyses used three measures of parasite diversity (species richness, the Shannon diversity index, and average taxonomic distinctness), and controlled for sampling effort and phylogenetic influences. Although several significant relationships were observed, they depended entirely on which diversity measure was used, or on which host taxon was investigated (insectivores vs. rodents and lagomorphs). In addition, the present results on patterns of mite diversity were not consistent with those of an earlier study involving roughly the same host taxa and the same biogeographical area, but a different group of ectoparasites, i.e. fleas. Thus, there appears to be no universal determinant of parasite diversity, and associations between host features and parasite diversity probably evolve independently in different host-parasite systems.

KW - Basal metabolic rate

KW - Body mass

KW - Diversity

KW - Geographical range

KW - Hosts

KW - Parasites

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=34247398664&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1111/j.1472-4642.2007.00332.x

DO - 10.1111/j.1472-4642.2007.00332.x

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:34247398664

VL - 13

SP - 353

EP - 360

JO - Diversity and Distributions

JF - Diversity and Distributions

SN - 1366-9516

IS - 3

ER -