It’s Halloween season, the liminal period when the general public seems to have a greater tolerance for stomach-churning content, so let’s talk about parasites, perhaps the most disgusting — and ...

Some of the most insidious and ancient threats to animals on Earth are parasites that hijack the bodies and brains of their hosts for their own nefarious ends. Now researchers are starting to gather ...

Scientists have found examples across the animal kingdom that show how parasites manipulate their hosts' behavior. In a bid to reach maturity and breed, they often lead their hosts to experience ...

Ancient Cambrian fossils have preserved the oldest known example of parasites in action. More than 500 million years ago in what is now southern China, tubelike parasites clung to the shells of tiny ...

The COVID-19 outbreak has put into stark relief the disruption parasites can cause, both in human society and ecosystems. Researchers have long sought to better understand the evolutionary importance ...

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Pervasive parasitic infections reduce herbivory rates and can therefore trigger trophic cascades that impact plant communities, according to new research. This work helps fill a recognized knowledge ...

Learn more about how parasites drive ecosystems, and see images and parasite-inspired anime characters in a SciFri SciArts article! The idea of a parasite—an organism that needs a host organism—has ...