Synthesizing selection mosaic theory and host-pathogen theory to explain large-scale pathogen coexistence
Katherine P. Dixon, William T. Koval, Carlos M. Polivka, Grace Bird, Vanja Dukic, Greg Dwyer · 2025
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Description
Katherine Dixon and co-authors present a 2025 study that joins two theories to explain why virus types persist across a wide map. One theory blames patchy natural selection across places but skips population swings. The other explains cycles in host and virus counts but not lasting variety in the virus.
Their case is a virus that infects the Douglas-fir tussock moth, a pest of western forests. Two forms of the virus vary in share from place to place. That share tracks how common one host fir tree is nearby. Models that join patchy selection with population cycles fit the data best. Models with only one frame gave weak fits. The authors add that a spray with both forms could beat the current one form spray.
Catalog record
| CREATOR | Katherine P. Dixon, William T. Koval, Carlos M. Polivka, Grace Bird, Vanja Dukic, Greg Dwyer |
|---|---|
| YEAR | 2025 |
| COLLECTION | PAPERS |
| FORMAT | TXT |
| FILE SIZE | 110 KB |
| VERSION | 1.0 |
| LICENSE | CC BY 4.0 |
| RIGHTS | CC BY |
| SOURCE | Europe PMC |