Coevolution

Co-evolution, co-evolution also referred to in the context of evolutionary theory successive evolutionary process of mutual adaptation of two strongly interacting species extending into the evolutionary history of both species over very long periods. Thus, the term is restricted to species pairs in which both types exert a strong selection pressure on each other. The result of co-evolution are Koadaptationen that occur in both species involved.

Examples

Examples of co-evolution, there is in the relationship between

• The two species involved in a symbiosis, such as pollinators and the plants they pollinate ( angiosperms )
• Predators and their prey animals or plants (predator -prey relationship)
• Parasites and their hosts: Agrobacterium tumefaciens ( parasite ) and dicot ( host ); Development of the hair of man and human lice

Term use

The term was originally used exclusively in evolutionary biology has been adopted in other disciplines and thus has experienced faculty dependent meaning changes:

• In molecular biology coined Gabriel Dover in 1984 the concept of "molecular coevolution "
• In memetics: The coevolution of memes and genes.
• The co-evolution of two memeplexes such as democracy and capitalism

• Theory of co-evolution of galaxies and black holes
• Theory of self-organizing universe of Erich Jantsch of coevolution as a general mechanism of evolution of the universe