Everything about Evolutionary Arms Race totally explained
In
evolutionary biology, an
evolutionary arms race is an
evolutionary struggle between competing sets of
co-evolving genes that develop
adaptations and counter-adaptations against each other, resembling an
arms race. The co-evolving gene sets may be in different
species, as in an evolutionary arms race between a
predator species and its
prey (Vermeij, 1987), or a
parasite and its host. Alternatively, the arms race may be between members of the same species, as in the manipulation/sales resistance model of communication (Dawkins & Krebs, 1979) or as in
runaway evolution or
Red Queen effects. One example of an evolutionary arms race is in
sexual conflict between the sexes.
Thierry Lodé emphasized the role of such antagonist interactions in evolution leading to
character displacements and antagonist coevolution.
Co-evolution itself isn't necessarily an arms race. For example,
mutualism may drive co-operative adaptations in a pair of species. This is the case with certain
flowers'
ultra-violet color patterns, whose function is to guide
bees to the center of the flower and promote
pollination. Co-evolution is also
interspecific by definition; it excludes intraspecific (within species) arms races such as
sexual conflict.
It can even be displayed between humans and micro-organisms, where medical researchers make antibiotics, and micro-organisms keep making more resistant strains.
Symmetrical versus asymmetrical arms races
Arms races may be classified as either symmetrical or asymmetrical. In a symmetrical arms race, selection pressure acts on participants in the same direction. An example of this is trees growing taller as a result of competition for light, where the selective advantage for either species is increased height. An asymmetrical arms race involves opposite selection pressures, such as the case of parasitism, where the parasite is driven to enhance infection rate and the host is pressured to develop resistance.
Introduced species
When a species hasn't been subject to an arms race previously, it may be at a severe disadvantage and face
extinction well before it could ever hope to adapt to a new predator, competitor, etc. This shouldn't seem surprising, as one species may have been in evolutionary struggles for millions of years while the other might never have faced such pressures. This is a common problem in isolated ecosystems such as
Australia or the
Hawaiian islands. In Australia, many
invasive species, such as
cane toads and
rabbits, have spread rapidly due to a lack of competition or natural predators and a lack of adaptations to cane toads on the part of its prey. Introduced species are a major reason why some
indigenous species become
endangered.
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