title: Toxoplasma gondii, sex and premature rejection.
abstract: Adaptive sex ratio theory explains why gametocyte sex ratios are female-biased in many populations of apicomplexan parasites such as Plasmodium and Toxoplasma. Recently, Ferguson has criticized this framework and proposed two alternative explanations--one for vector-borne parasites (e.g. Plasmodium) and one for Toxoplasma. Ferguson raises some interesting issues that certainly deserve more empirical attention. However, it should be pointed out that: (1) there are theoretical and empirical problems for his alternative hypotheses; and (2) existing empirical data support the application of sex ratio theory to these parasites, not its rejection.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Cell, Animal and Population Biology, University of Edinburgh, King's Buildings, West Mains Road, EH9 3JT, Edinburgh, UK. stu.west@ed.ac.uk <stu.west@ed.ac.uk>
authors.forename: Stuart A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: West
authors.forename: Sarah E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Reece
authors.forename: Andrew F
authors.initials: AF
authors.lastname: Read
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D005260:Female; D008018:Life Cycle Stages / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D012744:Sex Ratio; D014122:Toxoplasma / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development / Q000502:physiology*