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Science 27 June 1975:
Vol. 188. no. 4195, pp. 1314 - 1316
DOI: 10.1126/science.1145198
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Articles

Science, Vol 188, Issue 4195, 1314-1316
Copyright © 1975 by American Association for the Advancement of Science

articles

Parasite reproductive strategy and evolution of castration of hosts by parasites

S Obrebski

A modification of the Euler equation is used to describe a simple parasite life history in which survival decreases with age at a rate determined by mortality of the parasitized host. The advantages of castration of hosts by parasites are discussed using the modified equation in which castration is equivalent to reducing parasite virulence in the host to near zero or zero. It is suggested that castrating parasites can infest a wider range of hosts with higher mortality rates and that within parasite groups having castrating and noncastrating species, the former should infest hosts with higher mortality rates and relatively larger gonads.


THIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN CITED BY OTHER ARTICLES:
MALARIA-INDUCED APOPTOSIS IN MOSQUITO OVARIES: A MECHANISM TO CONTROL VECTOR EGG PRODUCTION.
J. A. HOPWOOD, A. M. AHMED, A. POLWART, G. T. WILLIAMS, and H. HURD (2002)
J. Exp. Biol. 204, 2773-2780
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Science. ISSN 0036-8075 (print), 1095-9203 (online)