You’ve probably seen “Save the Whales”. T-shirt in front. But have you seen “Save the Parasite”? one? A group of researchers think it’s probably time to start making them.
For most of us, that might seem like a tough sell.
(perhaps it is especially It is difficult now.popular HBO shows Last of Us turned Ophiocordyceps unilateralis, The actual “zombie ant” fungus that Shaw acted fictionalized became a household name. Millions of people know it simply as “Cordyceps”. )
The word “parasite” conjures up images of mosquitoes and intestinal swarms entwined with tapeworms, parasite-borne scourges such as malaria and Lyme disease that infect humans and livestock. These types of parasites, which must be controlled or eradicated, are just a fraction of the total found in nature.
Parasitic mechanisms also tend not to generate empathy. “Lifestyle” is to live at the expense of others. Parasites are evolutionary deceivers. Can’t you make your own? Just use another body as shelter and food.
But this view overlooks a truth that researchers have increasingly come to recognize. Wildlife parasites help keep the ecosystem in balance.
“Parasites are masters of puppetry. They are the silent force of this species in the ecosystem,” said a global change biologist at Georgetown University who has worked to quantify global parasite biodiversity. Colin Carlson says “In some ecosystems, they may be the majority of the biomass. They may be the majority of the food web he links. And we never think about them.” .”
Every species on earth has a corresponding parasite. (Some species have those numbers. Lemurs and their parasites, for example, are thought to have evolved together over the past 60 million years.
This means that parasites are highly sensitive to environmental changes and may be able to exhibit healthy ecosystems or warn of climate change or habitat loss. Organisms should be studied for parasites and listed as endangered when applicable, says Carlson.
He points to caterpillars that live in the highlands of Japan, whose ultimate hosts are trout. To get to the trout, the parasite must first ride a cricket and control its mind to drown the trout. “What amazes me is that the trout have turned out to be endangered and the majority of their diet comes from these crickets,” says Carlson. Insects basically maintain their ecosystems on their own by simply changing the behavior of their hosts.”
