Author Description

Current interest in host-parasite interactions is spread across many disciplines - immunology, evolution, ecology, endocrinology, sexual selection, behaviour, and organismal parasitology. This is a question-oriented book with a solid organismal foundation that will help to bridge the gap between evolutionary ecologists and parasitologists. A range of experts have written chapters that review general concepts and provide a detailed survey of the parasites of a major group of hosts; much evolutionary work on host-parasite interactions has focussed on birds, therefore the emphasis of the book is on avian systems. The book concludes with extensive reviews of methods used to study bird parasites, and will be an invaluable tool for anyone interested in understanding host-parasite interactions, particularly from an evolutionary perspective.