Infections and parasites are among the most potent drivers of evolution and have shaped the demographic, natural and societal history of animal and human populations. Much less is known about parasitic effects and the interplay with host response mechanisms in the wild. These blind spots may often mask the probable transitions from parasitism to commensalism and back. 

In this talk, I will discuss the interactions between vector-transmitted malaria-like blood parasites and their long-lived hosts, and present emerging ideas about the potential processes and the interplay between the ecology, behaviour and evolution of the participants.