Long-term spatiotemporal stability and dynamic changes in helminth infracommunities of spiny mice (Acomys dimidiatus) in St. Katherine's Protectorate, Sinai, Egypt.

摘要: The importance of parasites as a selective force in host evolution is topic current interest. However, short-term ecological studies host-parasite systems, on which such are usually based, provide only snap-shots what may be dynamic systems. We report here four surveys, carried out over period 12 years, helminths spiny mice (Acomys dimidiatus), the numerically dominant rodents inhabiting dry montane wadis Sinai Peninsula. With age (age-dependent effects prevalence and abundance were prominent) sex (female bias helminth diversity several taxa including Cestoda) taken into consideration, we focus relative temporal spatial infracommunities. show that site capture major determinant species (and higher taxa) contributing to community structure, exceptions being Streptopharaus spp. Dentostomella kuntzi. evidence most (notably Spiruroidea, Protospirura muricola, Mastophorus muris Gongylonema aegypti, but with among Oxyuroidae e.g. Syphacia minuta), elements temporal-site stability, rank order measures sites remaining similar successive surveys hence some predictability these