Fig. 5.

Definitive vs first host mass for helminths in the life-cycle database (Benesh et al., 2017). Small dots are species. Large dots are estimated means and 95% credible intervals for helminths with one-, two-, three-, and four-host cycles (see Fig. 3, Fig. 4). The inset shows the frequency distribution of life-cycle lengths in the database. The upper right box lists potential benefits of adding/maintaining larger predators as definitive hosts or smaller prey as intermediate hosts (i.e. of having a longer life-cycle). The lower box lists potential costs to infecting such hosts as well as costs associated with longer cycles generally. Benefits and costs highlighted in this review are noted: † Benesh et al., (2021a); ‡ Benesh et al. (2021b); § Froelick et al. (2021).