Parasites As Probes for Biodiversity

Cestodes of the genus Linstowia, parasitic in marsupials, show patterns of coevolution and ancient historical-ecological connections. Correlated with the breakup of the austral landmasses (Gondwanaland) of the Neotropical and Australian regions from the Antarctic continent, the age of this host-para...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Gardner, Scott Lyell, Campbell, Mariel L.
Format: Text
Language:unknown
Published: DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln 1992
Subjects:
parasites
biodiversity
coevolution
cestodes
Linstowia
marsupials
Bolivia
Yungas
Neotropics
Parasitology
Antarctic
The Antarctic
Austral
Antarc*
Online Access:https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/parasitologyfacpubs/26
https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/context/parasitologyfacpubs/article/1033/viewcontent/Gardner_JP_1992_Parasites_as_probes.pdf
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Summary:Cestodes of the genus Linstowia, parasitic in marsupials, show patterns of coevolution and ancient historical-ecological connections. Correlated with the breakup of the austral landmasses (Gondwanaland) of the Neotropical and Australian regions from the Antarctic continent, the age of this host-parasite community is estimated to be between 60 and 70 million years old. Based on the data from the survey of parasites of mammals from throughout Bolivia and from the phylogenetic analysis of the cestodes, we urge the planners of biodiversity preserves in the neotropics to consider the Yungas of Bolivia as a region that supports an ancient ecological community worthy of consideration as a biopreserve.

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