Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Speciation Rates01:07

Speciation Rates

Speciation can proceed at markedly different rates, and evolutionary biologists commonly describe these differences through the models of gradualism and punctuated equilibrium. Both patterns explain how new species arise, but they differ in the tempo and continuity of evolutionary change. In both cases, evolutionary change arises from heritable variation within populations, with natural selection often shaping traits that improve survival and reproduction under specific environmental conditions.
The Evidence for Evolution02:55

The Evidence for Evolution

Genetic variations accumulating within populations over generations give rise to biological evolution. Evolutionary changes can result in the formation of novel varieties and entire new species. These changes are responsible for the diverse forms of life inhabiting the planet. The evidence for evolution suggests that all living organisms descended from common ancestors.The collection of fossils within sedimentary rocks give a record of common ancestry and often depicts the history of evolution.
Convergent Evolution01:54

Convergent Evolution

Evolution shapes the features of organisms over time, ensuring that they are suited for the environments in which they live. Sometimes, selection pressure leads to the rise of similar but unrelated adaptations in organisms with no recent common ancestors, a process known as convergent evolution.The structures that arise from convergent evolution are called analogous structures. They are similar in function even if they are dissimilar in structure. Further, structures can be analogous while also...
Genetics of Speciation02:16

Genetics of Speciation

Speciation is the evolutionary process resulting in the formation of new, distinct species—groups of reproductively isolated populations.The genetics of speciation involves the different traits or isolating mechanisms preventing gene exchange, leading to reproductive isolation. Reproductive isolation can be due to reproductive barriers that have effects either before or after the formation of a zygote. Pre-zygotic mechanisms prevent fertilization from occurring, and post-zygotic mechanisms...
Types of Selection01:46

Types of Selection

Natural selection influences the frequencies of particular alleles and phenotypes within populations in several different ways. Primarily, natural selection can be directional, stabilizing, or disruptive. Directional selection favors one extreme trait and shifts the population towards that phenotype while selecting against individuals displaying alternate traits. Stabilizing selection favors an intermediate trait with a narrow range of variation. Deviation from the optimal phenotype towards an...
Gene Flow02:39

Gene Flow

Gene flow is the transfer of genes among populations, resulting from either the dispersal of gametes or from the migration of individuals.

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Evaluating vectors for the design of a spillover-disrupting Lassa virus transmissible vaccine.

PLoS computational biology·2026
Same author

Temporal analysis of reproduction distributed in space illuminates the climate-change resiliency of toyon (Heteromeles arbutifolia).

American journal of botany·2026
Same author

Interepidemic Rift Valley fever in East Africa: the recent risk landscape and projected impacts of global change.

Proceedings. Biological sciences·2026
Same author

Integrating Ethnography and Structural Equation Modelling to Assess Brucellosis Knowledge, Attitude, and Practices among Pastoralist Communities in Kenya.

medRxiv : the preprint server for health sciences·2025
Same author

Don't ask "when is it coevolution?"-ask "how?"

Evolution; international journal of organic evolution·2025
Same author

Cryptic CAM photosynthesis in Joshua tree (Yucca brevifolia, Y. jaegeriana).

The New phytologist·2025
Same journal

Traffic Reduction during COVID-19 Lockdowns Benefited Species Already Tolerant of Noise Pollution: An Acoustic Analysis.

The American naturalist·2026
Same journal

On Pachycephalosaurs, Trade-Offs, and the Historical Genesis of Sociosexual Display Structures.

The American naturalist·2026
Same journal

Structured Landscapes Promote Persistence by Favoring Prudent Predators.

The American naturalist·2026
Same journal

Can Carbon Economy Explain Leaf Dynamic Seasonality in a Tropical Seasonal Rainforest?

The American naturalist·2026
Same journal

Behavior and Physiology Outpace Form When Linking Traits to Ecological Responses within Populations: A Meta-Analysis.

The American naturalist·2026
Same journal

Seminal Fluid Proteins as Regulation Factors for Optimizing Reproduction: A Modeling Approach.

The American naturalist·2026
See all related articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 8, 2026

Experimental Protocol for Manipulating Plant-induced Soil Heterogeneity
08:16

Experimental Protocol for Manipulating Plant-induced Soil Heterogeneity

Published on: March 13, 2014

When does coevolution promote diversification?

Jeremy B Yoder1, Scott L Nuismer

  • 1Department of Biological Sciences, University of Idaho, Moscow, Idaho 83844, USA. jbyoder@gmail.com

The American Naturalist
|October 19, 2010
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Coevolution drives species diversification when interactions incur a cost for matching phenotypes, like in competition or host-parasite dynamics. Other interactions, such as arms races or mutualism, do not promote or even hinder diversification.

More Related Videos

Following the Dynamics of Structural Variants in Experimentally Evolved Populations
04:52

Following the Dynamics of Structural Variants in Experimentally Evolved Populations

Published on: February 3, 2023

Daily Transfers, Archiving Populations, and Measuring Fitness in the Long-Term Evolution Experiment with Escherichia coli
15:00

Daily Transfers, Archiving Populations, and Measuring Fitness in the Long-Term Evolution Experiment with Escherichia coli

Published on: August 18, 2023

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jun 8, 2026

Experimental Protocol for Manipulating Plant-induced Soil Heterogeneity
08:16

Experimental Protocol for Manipulating Plant-induced Soil Heterogeneity

Published on: March 13, 2014

Following the Dynamics of Structural Variants in Experimentally Evolved Populations
04:52

Following the Dynamics of Structural Variants in Experimentally Evolved Populations

Published on: February 3, 2023

Daily Transfers, Archiving Populations, and Measuring Fitness in the Long-Term Evolution Experiment with Escherichia coli
15:00

Daily Transfers, Archiving Populations, and Measuring Fitness in the Long-Term Evolution Experiment with Escherichia coli

Published on: August 18, 2023

Area of Science:

  • Evolutionary Biology
  • Theoretical Ecology
  • Speciation Research

Background:

  • Coevolutionary interactions are widely believed to drive evolutionary diversification.
  • However, a clear theoretical framework for differentiating interaction types that promote or inhibit diversification is lacking.
  • Previous studies have not fully elucidated the specific conditions under which coevolution fuels or restricts the emergence of new species.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To develop a theoretical basis for distinguishing coevolutionary interactions that promote diversification from those that do not.
  • To investigate the impact of different types of coevolutionary interactions on phenotypic evolution and diversification rates.
  • To reassess the role of coevolution in driving diversification across various ecological systems.

Main Methods:

  • Analytical modeling of phenotypic evolution.
  • Computer simulations of metapopulation dynamics.
  • Analysis of evolutionary costs associated with phenotype matching.

Main Results:

  • Coevolution promotes diversification when interactions impose a cost of phenotype matching (e.g., competition, host-parasite antagonism).
  • Classical coevolutionary arms races show no significant effect on diversification rates.
  • Mutualistic interactions were found to restrict diversification.

Conclusions:

  • The type of coevolutionary interaction critically determines its effect on diversification.
  • Diversification is promoted by antagonistic coevolutionary interactions with a cost of phenotype matching.
  • Findings suggest a need to re-evaluate the drivers of diversification in many coevolutionary systems, integrating theoretical and empirical evidence.