the available data. Our perspective on parasite virulence may well be
biased by this scarcity of comparative data. Thus, we need not just more
data on costs of infection, but data on a greater variety of taxa, both of
parasites and hosts. Some taxa are simply more charismatic and likely
to draw the attention of researchers (Plasmodiumamong parasites and
especially lizards among hosts!), but a broader view will certainly lead to
exciting and unexpected findings on the evolution of parasite virulence.Acknowledgements
I thank those who shared their views and offered lively debate on parasite
virulence. Their insights shaped this review: Lori Stevens, Chris Staats,
Becky Eisen, Paul Ewald, Andy Read, Susan Perkins, Rob Fialho, Sarah
Osgood, Mike Sukhdeo and Doug Gill. The research on lizard malaria was
funded by numerous grants from the National Science Foundation (NSF),
the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the National Geographic Society
and the University of Vermont.References
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