The latitudinal patterns of phylogenetic, functional and numerical interaction specificity in flea–mammal networks vary between biogeographic realms
- 1Mitrani Department of Desert Ecology, Swiss Institute for Dryland Environmental and Energy Research, Jacob Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Sede Boqer Campus, Midreshet Ben-Gurion, Israel
Abstract
The latitudinal patterns of the phylogenetic, functional and numerical interaction specificity (PIS, FIS and NIS, respectively) of fleas and mammals in their interaction networks, from 4 biogeographic realms, were investigated at the intraspecific, interspecific and community levels to understand whether the spatial variation of interaction specificity followed the predictions of a latitudinal specialization gradient. In fleas, no latitudinal pattern of PIS was detected. Flea FIS varied with latitude in all realms at the intraspecific level and in 2 realms at the interspecific and community levels. Latitudinal trends in NIS were detected in all realms (except Neotropics) at the intraspecific level and in the Old World realms at both higher levels. In hosts, PIS varied with latitude in the Afrotropics and the Nearctic at the intraspecific level and in the Afrotropics at the interspecific and community levels. FIS demonstrated a latitudinal trend in the Nearctic at the intraspecific level and in the Palearctic at the community level. Relationships between latitude and NIS were found in all realms (except Neotropics) at the intraspecific level and in the Old World realms at the interspecific and community levels. The directions of the latitudinal pattern of the same specificity facet could be positive or negative. They differed between fleas and hosts, realms and organizational levels. The occurrence and direction of the latitudinal specialization gradient are explained by the combined actions of evolutionary, historical and ecological factors. Pooling data from regions with different biogeographical histories and landscape structures, for a macroecological analysis, may produce spurious results.
Related
- Beyond the Plastisphere: Phylogenetic and Biogeographic Diversity of Marine Microorganisms with Putative Plastic-Degradation Potential
- Evidence-resolved benchmarks separate biological context recognition from direct-partner specificity in protein interaction models
- Functional importance and paralog-specificity of the intrinsically disordered RsmE C-terminus region in Pseudomonas fluorescens Pf0-1
- Bridging the gap between omics and structural data: A framework for interpreting protein-RNA interaction specificity
- Cellular source and circuit context organize functional specificity in the Drosophila NPF system
BibTeX
@article{krasnov2026latitudinal,
title = {{The latitudinal patterns of phylogenetic, functional and numerical interaction specificity in flea–mammal networks vary between biogeographic realms}},
author = {Boris R. Krasnov},
journal = {Parasitology},
year = {2026},
month = may,
doi = {10.1017/s0031182026102182},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1017/s0031182026102182},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - The latitudinal patterns of phylogenetic, functional and numerical interaction specificity in flea–mammal networks vary between biogeographic realms
AU - Boris R. Krasnov
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/05/26
JO - Parasitology
DO - 10.1017/s0031182026102182
UR - https://doi.org/10.1017/s0031182026102182
AB - The latitudinal patterns of the phylogenetic, functional and numerical interaction specificity (PIS, FIS and NIS, respectively) of fleas and mammals in their interaction networks, from 4 biogeographic realms, were investigated at the intraspecific, interspecific and community levels to understand whether the spatial variation of interaction specificity followed the predictions of a latitudinal specialization gradient. In fleas, no latitudinal pattern of PIS was detected. Flea FIS varied with latitude in all realms at the intraspecific level and in 2 realms at the interspecific and community levels. Latitudinal trends in NIS were detected in all realms (except Neotropics) at the intraspecific level and in the Old World realms at both higher levels. In hosts, PIS varied with latitude in the Afrotropics and the Nearctic at the intraspecific level and in the Afrotropics at the interspecific and community levels. FIS demonstrated a latitudinal trend in the Nearctic at the intraspecific level and in the Palearctic at the community level. Relationships between latitude and NIS were found in all realms (except Neotropics) at the intraspecific level and in the Old World realms at the interspecific and community levels. The directions of the latitudinal pattern of the same specificity facet could be positive or negative. They differed between fleas and hosts, realms and organizational levels. The occurrence and direction of the latitudinal specialization gradient are explained by the combined actions of evolutionary, historical and ecological factors. Pooling data from regions with different biogeographical histories and landscape structures, for a macroecological analysis, may produce spurious results.
SN - 0031-1820
SN - 1469-8161
ER -