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The role of phylogeny, ecological opportunity, and adaptive radiation in host-parasite interactions: network metrics, host repertoire, and network link prediction
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  • Armando Cruz-Laufer,
  • Tom Artois,
  • Stephan Koblmüller,
  • Antoine Pariselle,
  • Karen Smeets,
  • Maarten Van Steenberge,
  • Maarten Vanhove
Armando Cruz-Laufer
Hasselt University

Corresponding Author:armando.cruzlaufer@uhasselt.be

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Tom Artois
Hasselt University
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Stephan Koblmüller
Karl-Franzens-Universitat Graz
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Antoine Pariselle
ISEM
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Karen Smeets
Hasselt University
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Maarten Van Steenberge
KU Leuven
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Maarten Vanhove
Hasselt University
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Abstract

Many species-rich ecological communities result from adaptive radiation events. The effects of these explosive speciation events on community assembly remain poorly understood. Here, we explore the well-documented radiations of African cichlid fishes and interactions with their flatworm gill parasites (Cichlidogyrus spp.) including 10529 reported infections and 477 different host-parasite combinations collected through a survey of peer-reviewed literature. We assess the evolutionary, ecological, and morphological parameters on meta-communities partially affected by adaptive radiation evens using network metrics, host repertoire measures, and network link prediction (NLP). The hosts’ evolutionary history mostly determined host repertoires. Ecological and evolutionary parameters predicted host-parasite associations, but many interactions remain undetected according to NLP. Parasite meta-communities under host adaptive radiation are more specialised and stable while ecological opportunity and ecological fitting have shaped interactions elsewhere. The cichlid-Cichlidogyrus network is a suitable eco-evolutionary study system but future studies should validate our findings in other radiating host-parasite systems.
26 Jan 2022Submitted to Ecology Letters
27 Jan 2022Submission Checks Completed
27 Jan 2022Assigned to Editor
27 Jan 2022Reviewer(s) Assigned
21 Feb 2022Review(s) Completed, Editorial Evaluation Pending
22 Feb 2022Editorial Decision: Revise Major
08 Apr 20221st Revision Received
11 Apr 2022Submission Checks Completed
11 Apr 2022Assigned to Editor
18 Apr 2022Reviewer(s) Assigned
12 May 2022Review(s) Completed, Editorial Evaluation Pending
13 May 2022Editorial Decision: Accept