When parasites stop having sex, they may become less picky about their hosts

Article excerpt

A new evolutionary theory suggests that some asexual parasites may temporarily be able to infect a wider range of hosts as harmful genetic mutations build up. In a paper published in Trends in Parasitology, Cock van Oosterhout, a professor from the University of East Anglia (UEA), suggests that some parasites may become "generalists" not because they adapt successfully to many hosts, but because harmful mutations build up after they stop having sex.