Co-adaptation
In biology, co-adaptation, or coadaptation refers to the mutual adaptation of:
- Species: see mutualism, symbiosis. For example, take note of the relationship that exists between the ant Pseudomymrex ferruginea and the plant Acacia hindsii. This is generally termed coevolution.
- Traits, often at different levels of biological organization. For example, ecophysiology and evolutionary physiology have focused on the coadaptation of behavior with physiology.[1][2][3]
- Organs: see the evolution of the eye.
- Genes or gene complexes: see Linkage disequilibrium, epistasis
These are types of evolutionary adaptations because they involve cross-generational changes in the genetic compositions of populations in response to natural selection for the mutual benefit of both parties as they develop and corroborate their mutually beneficial relationship.
Examples of coevolution
- The fig and the fig wasp.
- Myrmica sabuleti and the Large Blue butterfly
See also
References
- ↑ Huey, R. B., and A. F. Bennett. 1987. Phylogenetic studies of coadaptation: preferred temperatures versus optimal performance temperatures of lizards. Evolution 41:1098–1115.
- ↑ Garland, T., Jr., T. 1999. Laboratory endurance capacity predicts variation in field locomotor behaviour among lizard species. Animal Behaviour 57:77–83.
- ↑ Angilletta Jr, M. J., A. F. Bennett, H. Guderley, C. A. Navas, F. Seebacher, and R. S. Wilson. 2006. Coadaptation: a unifying principle in evolutionary thermal biology. Physiological and Biochemical Zoology 79:282–294.
External links
- Coadaptation entry in a dictionary on evolution.
MICHAEL ALLABY. "co-adaptation." A Dictionary of Plant Sciences. 1998. Encyclopedia.com. 17 Feb. 2016 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.
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