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Related Concept Videos

Symbiosis00:58

Symbiosis

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Symbiotic relationships are long-term, close interactions between individuals of different species that affect the distribution and abundance of those species. When a relationship is beneficial to both species, this is called mutualism. When the relationship is beneficial to one species but neither beneficial nor harmful to the other species, this is called commensalism. When one organism is harmed to benefit another, the relationship is known as parasitism. These types of relationships often...
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When the fitness of a trait is influenced by how common it is (i.e., its frequency) relative to different traits within a population, this is referred to as frequency-dependent selection. Frequency-dependent selection may occur between species or within a single species. This type of selection can either be positive—with more common phenotypes having higher fitness—or negative, with rarer phenotypes conferring increased fitness.
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Predators consume prey for energy. Predators that acquire prey and prey that avoid predation both increase their chances of survival and reproduction (i.e., fitness). Routine predator-prey interactions elicit mutual adaptations that improve predator offenses, such as claws, teeth, and speed, as well as prey defenses, including crypsis, aposematism, and mimicry. Thus, predator-prey interactions resemble an evolutionary arms race.
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Evolutionary psychology explores the origins of human behavior and mental processes by framing them within the context of natural selection, a theory famously propounded by Charles Darwin. This field asserts that many behaviors common across human societies — ranging from instinctive fear reactions to complex social interactions — arose as evolutionary adaptations. These adaptations enhanced the survival and reproductive success of our ancestors, thereby becoming embedded in the...
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What do you think is the single most influential factor in determining with whom you become friends and whom you form romantic relationships? You might be surprised to learn that the answer is simple: the people with whom you have the most contact. This most important factor is proximity. You are more likely to be friends with people you have regular contact with. For example, there are decades of research that shows that you are more likely to become friends with people who live in your dorm,...
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Most altruistic behavior—in which one animal helps another at a cost to themselves—occurs between relatives. Scientists think these altruistic behaviors evolved because they increase the inclusive fitness of the animal providing help.
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Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 23, 2025

Using the FishSim Animation Toolchain to Investigate Fish Behavior: A Case Study on Mate-Choice Copying In Sailfin Mollies
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Partner dependency alters patterns of coevolutionary selection in mutualisms.

Mayra C Vidal1, Cong Liu1,2, Shengpei Wang3

  • 1Department of Biology, University of Massachusetts Boston, Boston, MA 02125.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
|May 21, 2025
PubMed
Summary

Coevolutionary dynamics differ between facultative and obligate mutualisms. While both show coevolution, it is weaker and slower in facultative interactions, with less trait complementarity observed.

Keywords:
cost and benefitdiversificationfacultativegeographic mosaicobligate

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Area of Science:

  • Ecology
  • Evolutionary Biology
  • Microbial Ecology

Background:

  • Coevolution drives diversification in species interactions, particularly in mutualisms where partners evolve complementary traits.
  • Obligate mutualisms are well-studied, but facultative mutualisms, which are more common, remain less understood regarding their coevolutionary dynamics.
  • Understanding coevolution in facultative mutualisms is crucial for comprehending ecological diversification and species persistence.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate coevolutionary dynamics in facultative mutualism and compare them with obligate mutualisms.
  • To assess the impact of mutualism dependency on the strength and rate of coevolution and trait evolution.
  • To identify genetic differences, such as single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), associated with coevolutionary selection in varying dependency levels.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized a synthetic yeast mutualism system exchanging essential nutrients.
  • Manipulated mutualism dependency by controlling resource availability in the environment.
  • Employed time-shift assays, tracked trait evolution, and performed genotyping of evolved and ancestral strains.

Main Results:

  • Coevolution was observed in both facultative and obligate mutualisms, but it was significantly weaker and slower in facultative interactions.
  • Trait complementarity evolved in obligate mutualisms, but not in facultative ones.
  • Obligate mutualists exhibited a higher number of SNPs under positive selection compared to facultative mutualists.

Conclusions:

  • Mutualism dependency critically influences the strength of coevolution and the rate of trait evolution.
  • The degree of dependency in mutualistic relationships shapes the evolutionary trajectories of interacting species.
  • Findings highlight the importance of interaction context in driving evolutionary outcomes and diversification.