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If I understand correctly, you suggest that a parasite would sacrifice "long term survival" or "offspring adulthood probability" to achieve increased reproducti
by terranstyler 13y ago
If I understand correctly, you suggest that a parasite would sacrifice "long term survival" or "offspring adulthood probability" to achieve increased reproductive success!?
Hmm, the host could for example go on a "raping spree" but it unsure how this would lead to _significantly_ increased reproduction (I suppose this is an energetically costly enterprise) and why the raping spree wouldn't be already an "integrated" behavior if it were so successful.
- etiam 13y agoIn this case 'a parasite would sacrifice host long term survival or host offspring adulthood probability to achieve increase it's own reproductive success'. The article concerns parasite manipulation of host behaviour, and to the extent that such manipulation can take control the host will act in the parasite's genetic interest rather than it's own.