Coevolution and Evolutionary Arms Races

Coevolution-1

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Coevolution

Coevolution can be described as a close ecological relationship between two (or more) species in one species adapts to changes in the other, thereby reciprocally affecting one another’s evolution.

Coevolution is likely to occur when different species have close ecological interactions with one another such as in symbiotic relationships.  This includes predator-prey, parasite-host and mutualism.

Coevolution toxic newts

For example, through the process of natural selection, predators and their prey inherit physical traits that make them more likely to survive. According to Dawkins & Krebs (1979), this can trigger predator-prey “arms races”. As prey defense adaptations improve, counter improvements occur in predator attack adaptations and vice versa over numerous generations. This is only one example of coevolution and there are many other symbiotic partnerships that drive natural selection and therefore evolution.

Dawking, R. & Krebs, J. R. (1979). Arms races between and within species. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London. B 205: p. 489-511.

Dawkins_and_Krebs1979_1_.pdf

Evolutionary Arms Races

An evolutionary arms race is an evolutionary competitioon between predator/prey species.  As sets of co-evolving genes develop adaptations and comuter-adaptations against each other, predators and prey may often show an evolutionary pattern called escalation: as predators evolve more powerful weapons prey develop more powerful defenses against them.

Abrams, P. A. 1986b. Is predator-prey coevolution an arms race? TREE 1:108-110.

The "lighter side" of evolutionary arms races!