Robert Poulin – författare

Parasites evolve under selective pressures which are different from those acting on free-living organisms. This textbook presents these pressures and shows how they have shaped the ecology of parasites over evolutionary time. Broad theoretical concepts are explained simply and clearly and illustrated throughout with example organisms. The book should prove useful for advanced undergraduate biologists who are studying evolutionary biology, ecology, population biology, parasitology and evolutionary ecology. It should also be of interest to postgraduate students and researchers in the same fields.

Parasites evolve under selective pressures which are different from those acting on free-living organisms. The aim of this textbook is to present these pressures and to show how they have shaped the ecology of parasites over evolutionary time. Broad theoretical concepts are explained simply and clearly and illustrated throughout with example organisms. The book should be of interest to advanced undergraduate biologists who are studying evolutionary biology, ecology, population biology, parasitology and evolutionary ecology.

Parasites have evolved independently in numerous animal lineages, and they now make up a considerable proportion of the biodiversity of life. Not only do they impact humans and other animals in fundamental ways, but in recent years they have become a powerful model system for the study of ecology and evolution, with practical applications in disease prevention. Here, in a thoroughly revised and updated edition of his influential earlier work, Robert Poulin provides an evolutionary ecologist's view of the biology of parasites. He sets forth a comprehensive synthesis of parasite evolutionary ecology, integrating information across scales from the features of individual parasites to the dynamics of parasite populations and the structuring of parasite communities. Evolutionary Ecology of Parasites presents an evolutionary framework for the study of parasite biology, combining theory with empirical examples for a broader understanding of why parasites are as they are and do what they do. An up-to-date synthesis of the field, the book is an ideal teaching tool for advanced courses on the subject.Pointing toward promising directions and setting a research agenda, it will also be an invaluable reference for researchers who seek to extend our knowledge of parasite ecology and evolution.