BIOL 3040 Chapter : Ch 19 LO
Document Summary
Chapter 19: coevolution: define coevolution and explain why coevolution differs from evolutionary change in a single species i. e. , intraspecific vs. interspecific interactions. Coevolution occurs when changes to heritable traits in species i drive changes to heritable traits in species 2, which in turn feed back to affect heritable traits in species one, and so on. When interactions are intraspecific the interactants share the same gene pool, and natural selection operates on alternative alleles in that gene pool. Summarize the interactions between leaf-cutter ants, fungi, and bacteria. The ants promote the growth of fungi, while eating some of the vegetative mycelium the fungus produces. The ants not only provide a safe growing area for the fungus, but they also protect the fungus from disease. The ants have a white crust on them which turned out to be bacteria. The ants use the antibiotic substances produced by the bacteria to kill parasites that grow in their fungal gardens.
