Theoretical and Comparative Studies of the Ecology and Evolution of Sexually-Transmitted Diseases

安东诺维奇 性传播疾病（STD）的生态和进化影响很少在非医学背景下进行研究;它们被认为是自然系统中的一种小型传染病。 研究人员的初步研究表明，STD在动物王国中很丰富，并且它们具有许多共同的特征（疾病引起的死亡率低，感染期长，宿主范围窄，不育，种群循环较少）。 本研究将使用理论模型来调查（a）影响性传播与其他疾病传播方式进化的因素，（B）病原体特征和宿主交配系统的共同进化，以及（c）空间结构对STD稳定性和进化的影响。 性传播疾病对种群调节和交配系统的进化有重要影响。 对它们的种群生物学的研究也与解释和预测新疾病的出现有关。 本研究报告将直接涉及这些问题。

Antonovics 9408207 The ecological and evolutionary impact of sexually transmitted diseases (STD's) has rarely been studied in a non-medical context; they have been considered a minor type of infectious disease in natural systems. The investigators' initial studies have shown that STD's are abundant within the animal kingdom and that they have many shared characteristics (low disease induced mortality, long span of infectious period, narrow host ranges, sterility, less population cycling). This study will use theoretical models to investigate (a) the factors that influence evolution towards sexual versus other modes of disease transmission, (b) the coevolution of pathogen characteristics and host mating systems, and (c) the effect of spatial structure on stability and evolution of STD's STD's can have important consequences for population regulation and for the evolution of mating systems. The study of their population biology is also relevant for interpreting and predicting the emergence of new diseases. The present study will bear directly on these issues.