| ectoparasite virulence is linked to mode of transmission. | theory suggests that the evolution of parasite virulence is linked to the dynamics of parasite transmission. all else being equal, parasites transmitted vertically from parents to offspring should be less virulent than parasites capable of horizontal transmission to unrelated hosts. this is because the fitness of vertically transmitted parasites is tightly linked to the reproductive success of the host, whereas the fitness of horizontally transmitted parasites is relatively independent of host r ... | 1994 | 8058799 |