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      The history of ecoimmunology and its integration with disease ecology.

      Integrative and Comparative Biology
      Animals, Communicable Diseases, genetics, immunology, Ecology, history, methods, Ecosystem, Environmental Health, History, 20th Century, History, 21st Century, Interdisciplinary Studies, Research

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          Abstract

          Ecoimmunology is an example of how fruitful integrative approaches to biology can be. Since its emergence, ecoimmunology has sparked constructive debate on a wide range of topics, from the molecular mechanics of immune responses to the role of immunity in shaping the evolution of life histories. To complement the symposium Methods and Mechanisms in Ecoimmunology and commemorate the inception of the Division of Ecoimmunology and Disease Ecology within the Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology, we appraise the origins of ecoimmunology, with a focus on its continuing and valuable integration with disease ecology. Arguably, the greatest contribution of ecoimmunology to wider biology has been the establishment of immunity as an integral part of organismal biology, one that may be regulated to maximize fitness in the context of costs, constraints, and complex interactions. We discuss historical impediments and ongoing progress in ecoimmunology, in particular the thorny issue of what ecoimmunologists should, should not, or cannot measure, and what novel contributions ecoimmunologists have made to the understanding of host-parasite interactions. Finally, we highlight some areas to which ecoimmunology is likely to contribute in the near future. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology. All rights reserved. For permissions please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

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