Growing evidence suggests that biodiversity mediates parasite prevalence. We have compiled the first global database on occurrences and prevalence of marine parasitism throughout the Phanerozoic and assess the relationship with biodiversity to test if there is support for amplification or dilution of parasitism at the macroevolutionary scale. Median prevalence values by era are 5% for the Paleozoic, 4% for the Mesozoic, and a significant increase to 10% for the Cenozoic. We calculated period-level shareholder quorum sub-sampled (SQS) estimates of mean sampled diversity, three-timer (3T) origination rates, and 3T extinction rates for the most abundant host clades in the Paleobiology Database to compare to both occurrences of parasitism and the more informative parasite prevalence values. Generalized linear models (GLMs) of parasite occurrences and SQS diversity measures support both the amplification (all taxa pooled, crinoids and blastoids, and molluscs) and dilution hypotheses (arthropods, cnidarians, and bivalves). GLMs of prevalence and SQS diversity measures support the amplification hypothesis (all taxa pooled and molluscs). Though likely scale-dependent, parasitism has increased through the Phanerozoic and clear patterns primarily support the amplification of parasitism with biodiversity in the history of life.

This article is part of the theme issue ‘Infectious disease macroecology: parasite diversity and dynamics across the globe’.

越来越多的证据表明，生物多样性介导了寄生虫的流行。我们编制了第一个关于整个显生宙海洋寄生虫的发生率和流行率的全球数据库，并评估了与生物多样性的关系，以测试是否支持在宏观进化尺度上放大或稀释寄生虫。古生代的中位数流行值为 5%，中生代为 4%，新生代显着增加到 10%。我们计算了古生物学数据库中最丰富的寄主进化枝的平均采样多样性、三定时器 (3T) 起源率和 3T 灭绝率的期间级股东法定人数子采样 (SQS) 估计，以与寄生和提供更多信息的寄生虫流行值。寄生虫发生和 SQS 多样性测量的广义线性模型 (GLM) 支持放大（所有分类群、海百合和胚状体以及软体动物）和稀释假设（节肢动物、刺胞动物和双壳类动物）。流行率和 SQS 多样性测量的 GLM 支持放大假设（所有分类群和软体动物）。尽管可能与规模有关，但寄生现象在显生宙期间有所增加，并且清晰的模式主要支持寄生生物在生命史上的生物多样性扩大。

本文是主题问题“传染病宏观生态学：全球寄生虫多样性和动态”的一部分。