Co-evolution

Co-evolution is the process of joint evolutionary development and adaptation between two different species which have a symbiotic relationship with each other. It occurs when two species respond to the selective pressures which their mutual interactions impose on them. This gives rise to an evolutionary "arms race", where traits in the species become more adapted to the other species over time. Co-evolution is a key concept in evolutionary biology, and is vital to understanding how species, ecosystems and the environment all interact. It has applications in conservation biology, biotechnology, and medicine.