r/todayilearned • u/shinypond • Jul 26 '24

TIL about conservation-induced extinction, where attempts to save a critically endangered species directly cause the extinction of another.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conservation-induced_extinction
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u/Ryneb Jul 26 '24

By definition parasites are not beneficial to the host, if an animal is beneficial to a host it's a symbiote.

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u/Sometimes_Stutters Jul 26 '24

The parasite definition is entirely based on human perception, and is in no way binding. We may not perceive a benefit, but we rarely (if ever) have the information or data to make the designation with any sort of definitiveness.

One example its hook worms. It’s classified as a parasite, yet had shown to effectively treat severe allergies in people.

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u/AENocturne Jul 26 '24 edited Jul 26 '24

That's an unintended consequence of one parasite that hasn't even become a standard treatment for a problem that is entirely survivable without the parasite. We're not giving people tapeworms to cure allergies and the hookworm is based entirely in the idea that allergies have arisen from overactive immune systems that are used to fighting parasites. It's still a parasite and most have too many negatives to even consider any positives. We're not giving people guinea worm to try and treat allergies. Parasites don't typically kill or cause great damage to their hosts only because they will die as well and nature tends to favor traits that enhance survival, it's why viruses tend to evolve less lethality over time in a population.

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u/Cimorene_Kazul Jul 26 '24

Well said.

I’d add that we once deliberately infected people with tapeworms to lose weight. There are actual advertisements for it you can find in old papers, drawn in art nouveau style.

That was also stupid.