Lecture 21 - Running with the Red Queen Flashcards
What is the difference between abiotic and biotic selective pressures?
Abiotic: Physical environment factors (e.g., temperature, humidity).
Biotic: Other organisms in the environment (e.g., predators, parasites, mutualists).
Define coevolution.
Coevolution is a reciprocal evolutionary change in interacting species, driven by natural selection.
What is the key difference between mutualism and antagonism in coevolution?
Mutualism: Both species benefit from the interaction.
Antagonism: One species benefits at the expense of the other.
What is mutualism? Provide an example.
A relationship where both species benefit. Example: Mycorrhizal fungi and plant roots.
What are the three main forms of predation?
True predation: Prey is killed.
Grazing: Prey is partially consumed.
Parasitism: Resources are taken from the prey.
How can mutualism drive coevolution?
By creating dependencies between species, such as pollinators and flowering plants.
What is competition in interspecies interactions?
An interaction where both species are harmed as they compete for the same resources.
When does coevolution occur?
When there is a tight ecological relationship and reciprocal natural selection.
What is the Red Queen Hypothesis?
Species must continuously evolve to maintain their position in an ever-changing environment, often in response to an antagonist.
Provide an example of an evolutionary arms race.
Rough-skinned newt (producing tetrodotoxin) and garter snakes (evolving resistance).
What are the possible outcomes of an evolutionary arms race?
Extinction of one or both species, a stable point, or a shift to a different characteristic.
How do fig trees and fig wasps exhibit coevolution?
Fig trees provide places for fig wasps to lay eggs, and fig wasps pollinate fig trees in return.
What is parallel evolution?
When two species evolve similar traits independently, but their changes don’t affect each other’s fitness.
Describe a mutualistic relationship in nature.
Flowering plants and insect pollinators, where plants provide nectar and insects pollinate flowers.
How do parasites drive coevolution?
Parasites evolve mechanisms to exploit hosts, while hosts evolve defences, creating reciprocal selective pressures.
What is the difference between coevolution and parallel evolution?
Coevolution involves reciprocal changes between species, while parallel evolution does not.
How can interspecies interactions affect evolution?
By acting as selective pressures that influence fitness, survival, and reproduction.
Why is mutualistic coevolution often harder to study than antagonistic coevolution?
Because the benefits and costs in mutualism are harder to quantify.
What factors make coevolution more likely?
Specific ecological relationships and strong reciprocal selective pressures.
What factors drive coevolution between species?
Reciprocal selective pressures.
Heritable traits influencing fitness.
Specific ecological relationships.
What role does genetic variation play in coevolution?
Genetic variation allows for adaptations that drive reciprocal changes between species.
How can coevolution lead to speciation?
Strong reciprocal pressures may result in divergent evolution and reproductive isolation.
What are the limits of coevolution?
Lack of heritable traits.
Weak or inconsistent selective pressures.
Environmental variability disrupting interactions.
