rupp at vax.oxford.ac.uk wrote...
)>Is there any study on endangered parasites? ;-)
then pappas.3 at osu.edu wrote...
)>SOME SPECIES HAVE, NO DOUBT, ALREADY BEEN DRIVEN
)>TO EXTINCTION! I KNOW AT OF LEAST ONE INSTANCE IN
)>WHICH A RESEARCHER COLLECTED SO MANY SNAILS FROM
)>A POND (IN AN ATTEMPT TO COLLECT LARVAL
)>TREMATODES), THAT HE ERADICATED AT LEAST ONE SPECIES
)>OF DIGENETIC TREMATODE THOUGHT TO OCCUR ONLY IN
)>SNAILS ONLY IN THAT ONE POND.
I have a strong interest in parasite biodiversity, both from a
pure love of the organisms I have chosen to study (as
mes at zoo.toronto.edu said in an unrelated post, they are "cool") and
for the data about systematic relationships, etc. that knowledge of
these parasites provide. We all agree that we want to be the "fittest"
in relation to zoonotic parasites, but often the human(vertebrate)-
bias comes into play when we consider parasites of other animals.
Earlier I posted the following, with no response, but in light
of the current discussion, I thought I would re-post it in hopes of
continuing this discussion.
---------------------------from original
post--------------------------------
Like most biologists, I have become increasingly alarmed at
the world's loss of species diversity. As parasitologists, we should
probably be even more disturbed than those that study free-living
organisms. As species of hosts become extinct, so also perish their
parasites. In addition, even if many species of hosts are "rescued" by
any of the currently proposed methods, such as setting up small
protected areas of isolated habitat, it will change parasite population
and community dynamics so drastically that many species of
parasites will still become extinct.
In a recent discussion of species diversity of non-parasites by
Briggs (Syst. Biol. 43:130-135) it was suggested that "...expert opinions
[are] probably the better approach to the determination of global
diversity." (pg 134). With that prompting I thought I would bring
up several questions suggested by Briggs' paper on species diversity
for discussion to this group of "experts."
1. To parallel Briggs' original question...How does species
diversity of parasites of marine animals compare with parasites of
terrestrial animals? (--this is compounded by those parasites that
have life cycle stages in both aquatic and terrestrial hosts.)
2. What are the best methods of sampling diversity of
parasites in hosts that are also in danger of extinction? In fragile
areas where the removal of large numbers is not practical how do
you get a true picture of distribution patterns, etc.?
and finally,
3. How do we entice (?) non-parasitologists to include
surveys of parasites when they sample biodiversity?
I hope these questions will stimulate some discussion as well
as help me solve them to my own satisfaction!
-------------------------------------------------------------------
--With the preceding comments, this post is rather long, but it seems
appropriate to bring the questions up once more. Questions 2 and 3
seem particularly pertinent here.
Scott Monks
(scottamy at kuhub.cc.ukans.edu)
