Data from: Evolutionary rescue in a host-pathogen system results in coexistence not clearance

The evolutionary rescue of host populations may prevent extinction from
novel pathogens. However, the conditions that facilitate rapid evolution
of hosts, in particular the population variation in host susceptibility,
and the effects of host evolution in response to pathogens on population
outcomes remain largely unknown. We constructed an individual-based model
to determine the relationships between genetic variation in host
susceptibility and population persistence in an amphibian-fungal pathogen
(Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis) system. We found that host populations
can rapidly evolve reduced susceptibility to a novel pathogen and that
this rapid evolution led to a 71 fold increase in the likelihood of
host-pathogen coexistence. However, the increased rates of coexistence
came at a cost to host populations; fewer populations cleared infection,
population sizes were depressed, and neutral genetic diversity was lost.
Larger adult host population sizes and greater adaptive genetic variation
prior to the onset of pathogen introduction led to substantially reduced
rates of extinction suggesting that populations with these characteristics
should be prioritized for conservation when species are threatened by
novel infectious diseases.