The Art Of Being A Parasite
, by Combes, ClaudeNote: Supplemental materials are not guaranteed with Rental or Used book purchases.
- ISBN: 9780226114293 | 0226114295
- Cover: Hardcover
- Copyright: 9/1/2005
Parasites are a masterful work of evolutionary art. The tiny miteHistiostoma laboratorium, a parasite ofDrosophila, launches itself, in an incredible display of evolutionary engineering, like a surface-to-air missile at a fruit fly far above its head. Gravid mussels such asLampsilis ventricosaundulate excitedly as they release their parasitic larval offspring, conning greedy predators in search of a tasty meal into hosting the parasite.The Art of Being a Parasiteis an extensive collection of these and other wonderful and weird stories that illuminate the ecology and evolution of interactions between species. Claude Combes illustrates what it means to be a parasite by considering every stage of its interactions, from invading to reproducing and leaving the host. An accessible and engaging follow-up to Combes'sParasitism, this book will be of interest to both scholars and nonspecialists in the fields of biodiversity, natural history, ecology, public health, and evolution.