Coevolution Flashcards
What is coevolution?
Reciprocal evolutionary changes between interacting species.
What is the Geographic Mosaic Theory of Coevolution?
Coevolution dynamics vary geographically, creating hotspots and coldspots.
What is mutualism?
Both species benefit and improve each other’s fitness.
What is commensalism?
One species benefits, the other is unaffected.
What is antagonistic coevolution?
When one species benefits at the cost of another, driving adaptation.
What is the Red Queen Effect?
Continuous evolutionary change needed to maintain relative fitness.
What is an example of mutualism?
Frugivores and fruit plants co-evolving traits like colour vision and fruit colour.
What is an example of commensalism?
Remora fish attach to larger fish to scavenge prey scraps.
How does predator-prey coevolution work?
Each species exerts selective pressure on the other to improve survival.
What is an example of a coevolutionary arms race?
Newts produce toxins, snakes evolve resistance to those toxins.
How have newts and garter snakes coevolved?
Newts produce more toxin; garter snakes evolve greater resistance, at a mobility cost.
How have bats and moths coevolved?
Moths evolved hearing to detect bats; bats adjusted echolocation frequency.
What defense mechanism have some moths evolved against bats?
Some moths produce ultrasonic clicks to startle or confuse bats.
What is brood parasitism?
Birds laying eggs in the nests of other species to avoid parenting costs.
How have cuckoos adapted to brood parasitism?
Cuckoos mimic host eggs and hatch earlier to outcompete host offspring.
What is natal philopatry in cuckoos?
Tendency of cuckoos to return to their natal area for breeding.
How do hosts defend against brood parasitism?
Recognizing and rejecting parasite eggs or chicks.
What is the ‘discordancy hypothesis’?
Hosts reject eggs that appear different from the majority of their clutch.
What is mimicry in coevolution?
Imitating another species’ traits for survival or reproductive advantage.
How can mimicry drive rapid coevolution?
Mimics and models continually evolve traits to maintain or counter deception.
What is AMR and why is it a major problem?
Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) causes millions of deaths and threatens treatment.
What drives the evolution of antimicrobial resistance?
Bacterial mutations and natural selection under antibiotic pressure.
How do bacteria share resistance genes?
Via horizontal gene transfer mechanisms like plasmids.
What are superbugs like MRSA?
Bacteria resistant to multiple antibiotics, e.g., MRSA.
