Population genetic structure and history of a generalist parasite infecting multiple sympatric host species.

摘要: Host specificity is predicted to shape patterns of parasite gene flow between host species; specialist parasites should have low species, while generalists are high species. However, even for generalist external forces, including ecological differences species may sometimes intervene limit and create genetic structure. To investigate the potential cryptic structure arise under such circumstances, we examined population history nematode, Trichostrongylus axei, infecting six sympatric wild ungulate in North America. Using genotypes 186 T. axei larvae at two mitochondrial genes, cox1 nad4, found that was completely panmictic across with 0% variation structured 97% within individual hosts. In addition, showed no evidence recent bottlenecks, had nucleotide diversities (above 2%), an effective size estimated be tens millions. Our result maintains rates multiple adds a growing body information on trichostrongylid different contexts. Furthermore, flow, coupled levels diversity large which observed point potentially broad capacity rapid evolutionary change this parasite.