Research Article: Weakness Can Be an Advantage in Surviving Deadly Parasites, a New Study Shows

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Weakness Can Be an Advantage in Surviving Deadly Parasites, a New Study Shows

When battling an epidemic of a deadly parasite, less resistance can sometimes be better than more. A new study suggests that a lake?s ecological characteristics influence how freshwater zooplankton Daphnia dentifera evolve to survive epidemics of a virulent yeast parasite Metschnikowia bicuspidate. The study found that Daphnia populations evolved either enhanced resistance or susceptibility to infection depending on the nutrient concentration and predation levels in the lake.

Source: Weakness Can Be an Advantage in Surviving Deadly Parasites, a New Study Shows