Coevolution of host-parasite associations and methods for studying their cophylogeny

Abstract

Coevolution may be defined as the process of reciprocal, adaptive genetic change in two or more species. Host-parasite interactions play an important role in the evolutionary ecology. The host phylogeny is independent, and the phylogeny of the parasite depends to some extent on the host. This review provides a description of several different methods for studying host-parasite relationships, along with a description of the underlying models and theoretical background for each. It also shows the possible applications of different methods and describes the advantages and drawbacks of different techniques.