1. Wildlife parasitology in Australia: past, present and future.
- Author
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Spratt, David M. and Beveridge, Ian
- Subjects
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PARASITOLOGY , *ANIMALS , *HELMINTHS , *INSECT nematodes , *ECOLOGY ,PARASITE evolution - Abstract
Wildlife parasitology is a highly diverse area of research encompassing many fields including taxonomy, ecology, pathology and epidemiology, and with participants from extremely disparate scientific fields. In addition, the organisms studied are highly dissimilar, ranging from platyhelminths, nematodes and acanthocephalans to insects, arachnids, crustaceans and protists. This review of the parasites of wildlife in Australia highlights the advances made to date, focussing on the work, interests and major findings of researchers over the years and identifies current significant gaps that exist in our understanding. The review is divided into three sections covering protist, helminth and arthropod parasites. The challenge to document the diversity of parasites in Australia continues at a traditional level but the advent of molecular methods has heightened the significance of this issue. Modern methods are providing an avenue for major advances in documenting and restructuring the phylogeny of protistan parasites in particular, while facilitating the recognition of species complexes in helminth taxa previously defined by traditional morphological methods. The life cycles, ecology and general biology of most parasites of wildlife in Australia are extremely poorly understood. While the phylogenetic origins of the Australian vertebrate fauna are complex, so too are the likely origins of their parasites, which do not necessarily mirror those of their hosts. This aspect of parasite evolution is a continuing area for research in the case of helminths, but remains to be addressed for many other parasitic groups. Wildlife parasitology is a highly diverse area of research encompassing disparate scientific disciplines and practitioners investigating highly dissimilar organisms. This review highlights advances made to date and identifies current significant gaps which exist in our understanding. Modern molecular methods are providing major advances in documenting and re-structuring the phylogeny of parasitic groups and facilitating recognition of species complexes in taxa previously defined by traditional morphological methods. Photo courtesy of Ian Beveridge, Australian Society for Parasitology and Lee Skerratt. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2018
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