"Now, here, you see, it takes all the running you can do to keep in the same place”
These were the words of the Red Queen in Lewis Carroll’s Through the
Looking Glass (The sequel to Alice in Wonderland). Alice found that no
matter how fast she chased after the Red Queen, both of them stayed in
exactly the same position.
In evolutionary context, this is analogous to the arms race that occurs between
predator and prey, parasite and host. Both participants in this uneasy
relationship compete against each other to try to gain the upper hand.
As the predator, parasite or pathogen evolve new methods to kill or
infect, the prey or host will evolve new defences to counter this. The
end result is a stalemate. This is known as antagonistic co-evolution
This theory was first put forward by a scientist named Leigh Van Valen
in 1973. He noted that taxa of organisms did not have improved survival
over geological time. He theorized that this could be because as the
predator refines its weapons, the prey responds with a better defence.
The system effectively reaches dynamic equilibrium, which is known as an
Evolutionary Stable System.
Evolutionary arms race can also
result in the extinction of a species. If one side of the arms race
evolves an adaptation that the other side cannot cope with quickly
enough, the other side will eventually collapse.
The Red Queen
Hypothesis can also help explain why sex is important. Although it is
quite a large waste of resources (i.e finding a mate, impressing the
mate, gestation etc.), the payoff is large enough to make it worthwhile.
Asexual reproduction results in populations that are all genetically
identical. Barring random mutation, it would only take one lethal strain
of bacteria to wipe them all out. Sexual reproduction gives genetic
diversity to a population, ensuring that at least a few individuals can
survive such an attack.
To illustrate this better, imagine a
lottery, where a random number is selected. A participant is more likely
to win if he has 10 tickets with different numbers on them than if he
has 10 tickets with the same number on all of them. Similarly, in an
environment with high rates of predation and parasitism, sexual
reproduction ensures that a species can survive the evolutionary arms
race.
Read all about it: http://bit.ly/YjwlSO
Also see: http://bit.ly/172kJqy
Read Van Valen’s original article: http://bit.ly/ZsePYd
Recommended: http://leighvanvalen.com/
“Leigh Van Valen was a polymath whose unique insights impacted
disciplines as diverse as mathematics, philosophy, and gender studies.”
The above website contains articles from his journals and even some
witty, yet scientifically accurate songs that he wrote.
Image URL: http://thepalaeopad.co.uk/
"Now, here, you see, it takes all the running you can do to keep in the same place”
These were the words of the Red Queen in Lewis Carroll’s Through the Looking Glass (The sequel to Alice in Wonderland). Alice found that no matter how fast she chased after the Red Queen, both of them stayed in exactly the same position.
In evolutionary context, this is analogous to the arms race that occurs between predator and prey, parasite and host. Both participants in this uneasy relationship compete against each other to try to gain the upper hand. As the predator, parasite or pathogen evolve new methods to kill or infect, the prey or host will evolve new defences to counter this. The end result is a stalemate. This is known as antagonistic co-evolution
This theory was first put forward by a scientist named Leigh Van Valen in 1973. He noted that taxa of organisms did not have improved survival over geological time. He theorized that this could be because as the predator refines its weapons, the prey responds with a better defence. The system effectively reaches dynamic equilibrium, which is known as an Evolutionary Stable System.
Evolutionary arms race can also result in the extinction of a species. If one side of the arms race evolves an adaptation that the other side cannot cope with quickly enough, the other side will eventually collapse.
The Red Queen Hypothesis can also help explain why sex is important. Although it is quite a large waste of resources (i.e finding a mate, impressing the mate, gestation etc.), the payoff is large enough to make it worthwhile. Asexual reproduction results in populations that are all genetically identical. Barring random mutation, it would only take one lethal strain of bacteria to wipe them all out. Sexual reproduction gives genetic diversity to a population, ensuring that at least a few individuals can survive such an attack.
To illustrate this better, imagine a lottery, where a random number is selected. A participant is more likely to win if he has 10 tickets with different numbers on them than if he has 10 tickets with the same number on all of them. Similarly, in an environment with high rates of predation and parasitism, sexual reproduction ensures that a species can survive the evolutionary arms race.
Read all about it: http://bit.ly/YjwlSO
Also see: http://bit.ly/172kJqy
Read Van Valen’s original article: http://bit.ly/ZsePYd
Recommended: http://leighvanvalen.com/
“Leigh Van Valen was a polymath whose unique insights impacted disciplines as diverse as mathematics, philosophy, and gender studies.” The above website contains articles from his journals and even some witty, yet scientifically accurate songs that he wrote.
Image URL: http://thepalaeopad.co.uk/
These were the words of the Red Queen in Lewis Carroll’s Through the Looking Glass (The sequel to Alice in Wonderland). Alice found that no matter how fast she chased after the Red Queen, both of them stayed in exactly the same position.
In evolutionary context, this is analogous to the arms race that occurs between predator and prey, parasite and host. Both participants in this uneasy relationship compete against each other to try to gain the upper hand. As the predator, parasite or pathogen evolve new methods to kill or infect, the prey or host will evolve new defences to counter this. The end result is a stalemate. This is known as antagonistic co-evolution
This theory was first put forward by a scientist named Leigh Van Valen in 1973. He noted that taxa of organisms did not have improved survival over geological time. He theorized that this could be because as the predator refines its weapons, the prey responds with a better defence. The system effectively reaches dynamic equilibrium, which is known as an Evolutionary Stable System.
Evolutionary arms race can also result in the extinction of a species. If one side of the arms race evolves an adaptation that the other side cannot cope with quickly enough, the other side will eventually collapse.
The Red Queen Hypothesis can also help explain why sex is important. Although it is quite a large waste of resources (i.e finding a mate, impressing the mate, gestation etc.), the payoff is large enough to make it worthwhile. Asexual reproduction results in populations that are all genetically identical. Barring random mutation, it would only take one lethal strain of bacteria to wipe them all out. Sexual reproduction gives genetic diversity to a population, ensuring that at least a few individuals can survive such an attack.
To illustrate this better, imagine a lottery, where a random number is selected. A participant is more likely to win if he has 10 tickets with different numbers on them than if he has 10 tickets with the same number on all of them. Similarly, in an environment with high rates of predation and parasitism, sexual reproduction ensures that a species can survive the evolutionary arms race.
Read all about it: http://bit.ly/YjwlSO
Also see: http://bit.ly/172kJqy
Read Van Valen’s original article: http://bit.ly/ZsePYd
Recommended: http://leighvanvalen.com/
“Leigh Van Valen was a polymath whose unique insights impacted disciplines as diverse as mathematics, philosophy, and gender studies.” The above website contains articles from his journals and even some witty, yet scientifically accurate songs that he wrote.
Image URL: http://thepalaeopad.co.uk/
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