An improved understanding of how a parasite species exploits its genetic repertoire to colonize novel hosts and environmental niches is crucial to establish the epidemiological risk associated with emergent pathogenic genotypes. T rypanosoma cruzi , a genetically heterogeneous, multi‐host zoonosis, provides an ideal system to examine the sylvatic diversification of parasitic protozoa. In B olivia, T . cruzi I, the oldest and m...

The debate around the frequency and importance of genetic exchange in parasitic protozoa is now several decades old. Recently, fresh assertions have been made that predominant clonal evolution explains the population structures of several key protozoan pathogens. Here, we present an alternative perspective. On the assumption that much apparent clonality may be an artefact of inadequate sampling and study design, we review curr...

Clonal propagation is considered to be the predominant mode of reproduction among many parasitic protozoa. However, this assumption may overlook unorthodox, infrequent or cryptic sexuality. Trypanosoma cruzi , which causes Chagas disease, is known to undergo non‐Mendelian genetic exchange in the laboratory. In the field, evidence of extant genetic exchange is limited. In this study, we undertook intensive sampling of T. cruzi...