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Cited by 734Animal Behavior and ReproductionParasite Biology and Host InteractionsPrimate Behavior and Ecology

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

Hart, Benjamin L.·1990·Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews
DOI 10.1016/s0149-7634(05)80038-7
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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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Crossref · 10.1016/s0149-7634(05)80038-7

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289 of 289 references verified0 citation errors · 0 not checkable

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Citations

Cites

Show all 294 references

Research works printed but not linked: 14

  1. Autenrieth, 1975, On the behavior and socialization of pronghorn fawns, Wildl. Monogr., 42, 1
  2. Brooke, 1985, The effect of allopreening on tick burdens of molting eudyptid penguins, Auk, 102, 893
  3. Burkill, 1985, vol. 1
  4. Erhlich, 1986, The adaptive significance of anting, Auk, 103, 835
  5. Espmark, 1961, Behavior of reindeer attacked by nostril to grub flies, Zool. Rev., 2, 28
  6. Feder, 1966, Cleaning symbioses in the marine environment, vol. 1, 327
  7. Gore, 1949, The pathology of hyporexia, Am. J. Pathol., 25, 1029
  8. Helle, 1983, Does herd formation reduce insect harassment among reindeer? A field experiment with animal traps, Acta Zool. Fenn., 175, 129
  9. Johnson, L. L.; Boyce, M. S. Female choice of males with low parasite load in sage grouse, Centrocerus urophasianus. In: Loye, J. E.; Zuk, M., eds. Ecology, behavior and evolution of bird-parasite interactions. Oxford: Oxford Univ. Press; in press.
  10. Limbaugh, 1961, Shrimps that clean fishes, Bull. Marine Sci. Gulf Caribb., 11, 237
  11. Mandel, 1981, Naturally occurring defense mechanisms in saliva, Microbiol. Abstr. Suppl., 367
  12. Maurer, 1963, African horse sickness—with emphasis on pathology, Am. J. Vet. Res., 24, 235
  13. Sykes, 1977, Chronic param and animal efficiency, ARC Res. Rev., 3, 41
  14. Toth, 1990, Hematologic effects of infectious challenge in rabbits, J. Am. Vet. Med. Assoc.

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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)
DOI
10.1016/s0149-7634(05)80038-7
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
Licence
www.elsevier.com/tdm/userlicense/1.0/ (tdm)
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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