Social and behavioral barriers to pathogen transmission in wild animal populations [electronic resource]

Disease and pathogens have been studied as regulators of animal populations but not really as selective forces. The authors propose that pathogens can be major selective forces influencing social behaviors when these are successful at reducing disease transmission. The behaviors whose evolution coul...

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Bibliographic Details
Online Access: Online Access
Corporate Authors: Savannah River Laboratory (Researcher), United States. Department of Energy. Savannah River Site (Researcher)
Format: Government Document Electronic eBook
Language:English
Published: Washington, D.C. : Oak Ridge, Tenn. : United States. Dept. of Energy ; distributed by the Office of Scientific and Technical Information, U.S. Dept. of Energy, 1988.
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Summary:Disease and pathogens have been studied as regulators of animal populations but not really as selective forces. The authors propose that pathogens can be major selective forces influencing social behaviors when these are successful at reducing disease transmission. The behaviors whose evolution could have been influenced by pathogen effects include group size, group isolation, mixed species flocking, migration, seasonal sociality, social avoidance, and dominance behaviors. Mate choice, mating system, and sexual selection are put in a new light when examined in terms of disease transmission. It is concluded that pathogen avoidance is a more powerful selective force than has heretofore been recognized.
Item Description:Published through the Information Bridge: DOE Scientific and Technical Information.
12/31/1988.
"dp-ms--88-237"
"DE98007478"
Loehle, C.S.
Physical Description:39 p. : digital, PDF file.