Coevolution

Thu, 02 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Coevolution: the reciprocal evolutionary change between two or more species, each exerting selective pressure on the other. In plant-animal interactions, coevolution produces some of the most spectacular and precise adaptations in nature — flower shapes fitting pollinator morphologies, seed toxins countered by herbivore detoxification mechanisms, fruit colors matching pollinator vision — all reflecting millions of years of reciprocal change.

Plant-pollinator coevolution

The relationship between flowering plants and their pollinators is the classic example of coevolution. Darwin’s observations of orchid flowers led him to propose that flowers must coevolve with their pollinators, even before the pollinator was known. His prediction — that Angraecum sesquipedale, an orchid with a 11-inch nectary spur, must be pollinated by a moth with a correspondingly long proboscis — seemed absurd to contemporary biologists. Yet in 1903, the hawk-moth Xanthopan morganii was discovered with a 10-inch tongue, confirming Darwin’s evolutionary foresight.

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Coevolution

Plant-pollinator coevolution