Evolutionary arms race In evolutionary biology, an evolutionary arms race is an ongoing struggle between competing sets of co-evolving genes, phenotypic and behavioral traits, or species, that develop escalating adaptations and counter-adaptations against each other, resembling an arms race.
Full Answer
What is an example of an arms race in evolution?
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, often described with the term Fisherian runaway.
Why is it called an arms race?
The levels of defense and counter-defense will continue to escalate, without either side “winning.” Hence, it is called an arms race. This sort of evolutionary arms race is probably relatively common for many plant/herbivore systems. Other predator/prey systems have also engaged in arms races.
How does an asymmetrical arms race affect evolution?
As the name implies, an asymmetrical arms race will result in the species to adapt in different ways. This type of evolutionary arms race still results in the co-evolution of the species. Most asymmetrical arms races come from a predator-prey relationship of some sort.
Is antibiotic resistance an evolutionary arms race?
Similarly, the phenomenon of antibiotic resistance in bacteria is also a type of evolutionary arms race. Doctors often prescribe antibiotics for patients that have a bacterial infection in hopes that the antibiotics will stimulate the immune system and kill off the disease-causing pathogen.
What is an example of an evolutionary arms race?
The interaction between bats and their insect prey, in particular moths, is one of the most cited examples of such an evolutionary arms race. It comes with a twist – the weaponry used by each is largely based on sound and hearing.
What is another term for evolutionary arms race?
Predators and prey may often show an evolutionary pattern called escalation. By escalation, we mean that life has become more dangerous over evolutionary time: predators have evolved more powerful weapons and prey have evolved more powerful defences against them.
What is meant by the co evolutionary arms race in fishes?
The Coevolutionary Arms Race When associations produce fitness benefits and/or costs to the organisms involved, their interactions will generate natural selection on one another, potentially producing evolutionary changes in one or both species.
What is evolutionary arms race between host and parasite?
Discussion. The evolutionary arms race between trophically transmitted parasites and their final hosts involves the interaction of the parasites manipulating the behaviours of their intermediate hosts versus potential final hosts minimizing their infection risk and fitness costs [1–5].
What is the evolutionary arms race between pest and pesticide?
The author's chief contention is that modern agriculture locks pesticides in an endless evolutionary arms race with pests. New pesticides are continuously needed to keep up with the extraordinary ability of pests to evolve resistance to them—sometimes in as little as five years.
What is an arms race between countries?
An arms race occurs when two or more countries increase the size and quality of military resources to gain military and political superiority over one another.
What is coevolution in simple words?
coevolution, the process of reciprocal evolutionary change that occurs between pairs of species or among groups of species as they interact with one another.
What are 3 examples of coevolution?
Coevolution functions by reciprocal selective pressures on two or more species, analogous to an arms race in an attempt to outcompete each other. Classic examples include predator-prey, host-parasite, and other competitive relationships between species.
Is evolutionary arms race coevolution?
Arms race is a specific form of coevolution that is characterized by escalating levels of defense and counterdefense in antagonistic interactions.
Why might some examples of coevolution be described as evolutionary arms races?
As sets of co-evolving genes develop adaptations and counter-adaptations against each other, predators and prey may often show an evolutionary pattern called escalation: as predators evolve more powerful weapons prey develop more powerful defenses against them.
Why is it called the Red Queen hypothesis?
The Red Queen Hypothesis The term is derived from Lewis Carroll's Through the Looking Glass, where the Red Queen informs Alice that “here, you see, it takes all the running you can do to keep in the same place.” Thus, with organisms, it may require multitudes of evolutionary adjustments just to keep from going extinct.
What is a coevolutionary arms race quizlet?
What is a coevolutionary arms race? A repeating cycle of reciprocal adaptation. It occurs when predators and prey or herbivores and plants interact over time.
What is a synonym for arms race?
DEFINITIONS2. competition between countries to increase the number or power of their weapons of war. Synonyms and related words. Arms control and disarmament. amnesty.
What was the arms race quizlet?
The conflict between Communist North Korea and Non-Communist South Korea.
Is evolutionary arms race coevolution?
Arms race is a specific form of coevolution that is characterized by escalating levels of defense and counterdefense in antagonistic interactions.
What is a coevolutionary arms race quizlet?
What is a coevolutionary arms race? A repeating cycle of reciprocal adaptation. It occurs when predators and prey or herbivores and plants interact over time.
What is an evolutionary arms race?
In evolutionary biology, an evolutionary arms race is a struggle between competing sets of co-evolving genes, traits, or species, that develop adaptations and counter-adaptations against each other, resembling an arms race. These are often described as examples of positive feedback. 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, often described with the term Fisherian runaway. Thierry Lodé emphasized the role of such antagonistic interactions in evolution leading to character displacements and antagonistic coevolution .
What is the effect of the evolutionary arms race on snakes?
This evolutionary arms race has resulted in the newts producing levels of toxin far in excess of that needed to kill any other predator.
Why do bats use echolocation?
Bats have evolved to use echolocation to detect and catch their prey. Moths have in turn evolved to detect the echolocation calls of hunting bats, and evoke evasive flight maneuvers, or reply with their own ultrasonic clicks to confuse the bat's echolocation.
How do allele frequencies vary?
As a consequence, allele frequencies vary through time depending on the size of virulent and resistant populations (fluctuation of genetic selection pressure) and generation time (mutation rate) where some genotypes are preferentially selected thanks to the individual fitness gain.
What is an asymmetrical arms race?
An asymmetrical arms race involves contrasting selection pressures, such as the case of cheetahs and gazelles, where cheetahs evolve to be better at hunting and killing while gazelles evolve not to hunt and kill, but rather to evade capture.
Why do whelk use their own shells?
The whelk predators used their own shell to open the shell of their prey, oftentimes breaking both shells of the predator and prey in the process. This led to the fitness of larger-shelled prey to be higher and then more selected for through generations, however, the predator’s population selected for those who were more efficient at opening the larger-shelled prey. This example is an excellent example of asymmetrical arms race because while the prey is evolving a physical trait, the predators are adapting in a much different way.
Is the co-evolving gene set between species?
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, ...
Which genes are involved in the evolutionary arms race?
Two of the more recent HERC genes, HERC5 and HERC6, were observed to have been involved in an evolutionary arms race with viruses for hundreds of millions of years.
Where did the HERC gene originate?
HERC genes originated in marine species; however, not all vertebrates possess HERC genes. This suggests that different forms of the genes emerged at different points during evolution, when they would confer a survival advantage to the host. Two of the more recent HERC genes, HERC5 and HERC6, were observed to have been involved in an evolutionary arms race with viruses for hundreds of millions of years. Because of this battle, these genes have developed sophisticated ways to put up a shield in cells to block viruses.
What is the oldest HERC gene?
Dr Barr’s team showed that the oldest member of the small HERC gene family is HERC4. HERC4 is present in one of the few lineages of jawless fish that survive today, sea lampreys, which originated almost 600 million years ago. HERC4 has since duplicated itself three times at different evolutionary timepoints in the tree of life. The last expansion of the HERC family happened after the divergence of the ray-finned fish, such as eels, salmon and sturgeon, around 400 million years ago and this probably resulted in a duplication of the HERC6 gene which gave rise to HERC5. The earliest vertebrate identified to possess HERC5 was an ancient marine organism called the coelacanth, a type of fish that emerged over 400 million years ago.
Why is the RCC1-like domain important?
Given the knowledge that the RCC1-like domain is important in the immune response against viral infection, Dr Barr asked why HERC5 and HERC6 varied in their antiviral activities, with particular focus on this domain. Indeed, his team showed that if part of the RCC1-like domain from HERC5 was transferred into HERC6, then HIV particle production was inhibited to a level similar to HERC5. Dr Barr mentions that, “additional structure-function studies are needed to understand exactly how this part of the RCC1-like domain exerts its antiviral activity.”
Which fish carry the HERC gene?
Salmon (large image), sea lamprey (top inset) and sturgeon (bottom inset) all carry versions of the HERC genes.
Does HERC5 evolve under selective pressure?
Interestingly, HERC3 and HERC4, which also possess the RCC1-like domain, do not seem to be evolving under selective pressure despite being much older than HERC5 and HERC6.
What is an example of evolution in action?
South America's cholera epidemic: an example of evolution in action
Why do predators evolve?
Predators evolving to defeat prey, and prey evolving to evade predators
Overview
In evolutionary biology, an evolutionary arms race is an ongoing struggle between competing sets of co-evolving genes, phenotypic and behavioral traits, or species, that develop escalating adaptations and counter-adaptations against each other, resembling an arms race. These are often described as examples of positive feedback. 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
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 contrasting selection pressures, such as the case of cheetahs and gazelles, where cheetahs evolve to be better at hunting and killing whil…
Host–parasite dynamic
Selective pressure between two species can include host-parasite coevolution. This antagonistic relationship leads to the necessity for the pathogen to have the best virulent alleles to infect the organism and for the host to have the best resistant alleles to survive parasitism. As a consequence, allele frequencies vary through time depending on the size of virulent and resistant populations (fluctuation of genetic selection pressure) and generation time (mutation rate) wher…
Examples
The Bintje Potato is derived from a cross between Munstersen and Fransen potato varieties. It was created in the Netherlands in the early 20th century and now is mainly cultivated in the North of France and Belgium. The oomycete Phytophthora infestans is responsible for the potato blight, in particular during the European famine in 1840. Zoospores (mobile spores, characteristics of oomycetes) are liberated by zoosporangia provided from a mycelium and brought by rain or win…
Introduced species
When a species has not 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 should not 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, …
See also
• Anti-predator adaptation
• Parasite–host interactions
• Parent–offspring conflict
• Antimicrobial resistance
External links
• Nature's Eternal Arms Race (PBS Documentary)