Coevolution
Coevolution is the process by which two or more species reciprocally influence each other's evolution over time through mutual selective pressures. It arises when an evolutionary change in one species drives adaptive changes in another, creating a feedback loop of reciprocal adaptation. Classic examples include predator-prey arms races, flowering plants and their pollinators, and host-parasite dynamics.
Types of Coevolutionary Interactions
| Interaction Type | Species A Effect | Species B Effect | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mutualism | Positive (+) | Positive (+) | Fig tree and fig wasp |
| Predator-Prey Arms Race | Selective pressure | Defensive adaptation | Cheetah and gazelle |
| Host-Parasite | Immune evasion pressure | Counter-immunity | Plasmodium and humans |
| Plant-Pollinator | Floral structure shapes | Mouthpart shapes | Orchid and moth |
| Mimicry | Model protection | Mimic advantage | Viceroy and monarch butterfly |
Interactive Tools
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Related Terms
Natural Selection
Natural selection is the process by which individuals with heritable traits that improve survival and reproduction in a given environment leave more offspring than those without such traits, causing those traits to become more common in the population over generations. It is the primary mechanism of adaptive evolution, first described by Charles Darwin and Alfred Russel Wallace in 1858. Natural selection acts on phenotypic variation and requires heritable differences in reproductive success to drive evolutionary change.
Phylogenetic Tree
A phylogenetic tree is a branching diagram that represents the inferred evolutionary relationships among groups of organisms based on similarities and differences in physical or genetic characteristics. Each node (branch point) represents a common ancestor, while the tips of the branches represent current taxa or sequences. Phylogenetic trees are fundamental tools in systematic biology, helping scientists understand biodiversity, trace the origin of diseases, and classify life.
From Latin "co-" meaning together/jointly, and "evolution" from Latin "evolutio" (an unrolling). The term was popularized by Paul Ehrlich and Peter Raven in their seminal 1964 paper on butterflies and plants.