Comparing the hermaphroditic mating system of a parasitic flatworm between populations with an ancestral, three-host life cycle and a derived, facultative precocious life cycle.

The article focuses on the evolutionary implications of life cycle changes in the hermaphroditic trematode Alloglossidium progeneticum, particularly examining the selfing rates and inbreeding depression associated with its facultative precocious life cycle compared to the ancestral three-host life cycle. The study found that populations with the ancestral life cycle exhibited high outcrossing rates, while those with the precocious life cycle showed significantly higher selfing rates and little evidence of inbreeding depression. This suggests that the transition to a shorter life cycle may have evolved in the absence of inbreeding depression, supporting theoretical models of parasite evolution. The research highlights the complex interplay between life cycle evolution and mating systems in parasitic organisms. [Extracted from the article]