How a #parasite gave up sex to find more hosts—and why its victory won't last phys.org/news/2026-01-parasite…
Host range expansion of asexual parasite can be explained by loss of adaptions in Muller’s Ratchet nature.com/articles/s41467-025…
"an asexual lineage of #Giardia managed to infect a wider range of hosts than its sexual ancestor... at a cost. Because these #parasites don't exchange genetic material, harmful mutations build up over time, leading to eventual collapse"
#Protists #Microbes #Evolution
How a parasite 'gave up sex' to find more hosts—and why its victory won't last
Australian researchers have uncovered how a particular strain of a diarrhea-causing parasite managed to infect more animal species, offering new insights into how parasitic infections emerge and spread to people.Walter and Eliza Hall Institute (Phys.org)