The DOI matches its Crossref record; 289 of the 294 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.
Behavioral adaptations to pathogens and parasites: Five strategies
Abstract
The ever present threat of viral, bacterial, protozoan and metazoan parasites in the environment of wild animals is viewed as responsible for the natural selection of a variety of behavioral patterns that enable animals to survive and reproduce in this type of environment. Several lines of research, some quite recent, point to five behavioral strategies that vertebrates utilize to increase their personal or inclusive fitness in the face of parasites (broadly defined to include pathogens). These are: 1) avoidance of parasites; 2) controlled exposure to parasites to potentiate the immune system; 3) behavior of sick animals including anorexia and depression to overcome systemic febrile infections; 4) helping sick animals; 5) sexual selection for mating partners with the genetic endowment for resistance to parasites. The point is made that to consider a behavioral pattern as having evolved to serve a parasite control function the parasite or causative agent should be shown to adversely impact the animal's fitness and the behavior in question must be shown to help animals, or their offspring or group mates, in combating their exposure, or reducing their vulnerability, to the parasite.
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“Tantra's counsel concerning the ingestion of pathogenic substances coupled with the practice of maximally suboptimal sexual intercourse with an out-of-caste partner is best explained, I argue, by considering the”
From Disgusting Bodies, Disgusting Religion: The Biology of Tantra (2011) · cites this paper as Hart 1990
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“Consanguine sexual intercourse prevents the generation of a novel immune system in the offspring.”
From Disgusting Bodies, Disgusting Religion: The Biology of Tantra (2011) · cites this paper as Hart 1990
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Metadata
- Authors
- Hart, B. L.
- Affiliations
- University of California, Davis (US)
- Corresponding author
- Hart, Benjamin L.
- ORCID
- Hart, Benjamin L.
- Venue
- Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 1990-09
- Volume
- 14
- Issue
- 3
- Pages
- 273-294
- ISSN
- 0149-7634 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2122995853
- Cited by
- 734
- References
- 294
- Citations by year
- 2026: 11 · 2025: 23 · 2024: 25 · 2023: 22 · 2022: 25 · 2021: 32 · 2020: 23 · 2019: 26 · 2018: 34 · 2017: 25 · 2016: 43 · 2015: 51 · 2014: 34 · 2013: 21 · 2012: 33
- FWCI
- 14.75
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- National Institutes of Health (2s07rr005457-29)
- National Center for Research Resources (RR05457)
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics › Animal Behavior and Reproduction
- Life Sciences › Immunology and Microbiology › Parasitology › Parasite Biology and Host Interactions
- Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics › Primate Behavior and Ecology
- Keywords
- parasite avoidance, controlled exposure, immune potentiation, anorexia, fever, sexual selection, parasite resistance, inclusive fitness, natural selection, vertebrate behavior, host-parasite interactions
- MeSH terms
- Adaptation, Psychological, Animals, Bacterial Infections, Behavior, Humans, Parasitic Diseases, Virus Diseases
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