Mutualism, association between organisms of two different species in which each benefits. Mutualistic arrangements are most likely to develop between organisms with widely different living requirements.
mutualism
Explanation:
Mutualistic interactions, or mutualisms, are ubiquitous in nature. This type of species interaction involves the exchange of goods or services between two species, called mutualist partners. By definition, each species involved in a mutualism must receive a benefit from the interaction, and that benefit usually comes at a cost (Bronstein 1994). However, mutualist partners do not necessarily receive equal benefits or incur equal costs. While the activities of each partner benefits the other species in some way, neither species behaves altruistically. Instead, each species pursues its own selfish interest, and any benefit incurred by the mutualist partner is an unintended consequence of the interaction. Darwin acknowledged that mutualistic interactions are not altruistic when he wrote in On the Origin of Species (1859), " . . . I do not believe that any animal in the world performs an action for the exclusive good of another of a distinct species, yet each species tries to take advantage of the instincts of others . . . "
Many different kinds of organisms are involved in mutualisms, so the types of goods and services that are exchanged are highly variable, as are the mechanisms by which the exchanges are made. For example, the mutualistic interactions between flowering plants and their animal pollinators (Figure 1) are very different from interactions between acacia trees and the ants that inhabit and protect them (Janzen 1966), or interactions between plant and fungal species that form mycorrhizae (van der Heijden and Horton 2009). The variable nature of mutualistic interactions has made it difficult to develop quantitative mathematical models that generalize all mutualisms. However, quantitative models have been developed for particular types of mutualisms (e.g., plant-pollinator interactions) (Mitchell et al. 2009).
Foraging Bombus bee
Figure 1: Foraging Bombus bee
This Bombus bee is foraging on the flowers of Dicentra cucullaria (L.) Bernh.; pollen is visible on the underside of the bee. (Courtesy of Julie Wittmer)anation:
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Mutualism, association between organisms of two different species in which each benefits. Mutualistic arrangements are most likely to develop between organisms with widely different living requirements.
mutualism
Explanation:
Mutualistic interactions, or mutualisms, are ubiquitous in nature. This type of species interaction involves the exchange of goods or services between two species, called mutualist partners. By definition, each species involved in a mutualism must receive a benefit from the interaction, and that benefit usually comes at a cost (Bronstein 1994). However, mutualist partners do not necessarily receive equal benefits or incur equal costs. While the activities of each partner benefits the other species in some way, neither species behaves altruistically. Instead, each species pursues its own selfish interest, and any benefit incurred by the mutualist partner is an unintended consequence of the interaction. Darwin acknowledged that mutualistic interactions are not altruistic when he wrote in On the Origin of Species (1859), " . . . I do not believe that any animal in the world performs an action for the exclusive good of another of a distinct species, yet each species tries to take advantage of the instincts of others . . . "
Many different kinds of organisms are involved in mutualisms, so the types of goods and services that are exchanged are highly variable, as are the mechanisms by which the exchanges are made. For example, the mutualistic interactions between flowering plants and their animal pollinators (Figure 1) are very different from interactions between acacia trees and the ants that inhabit and protect them (Janzen 1966), or interactions between plant and fungal species that form mycorrhizae (van der Heijden and Horton 2009). The variable nature of mutualistic interactions has made it difficult to develop quantitative mathematical models that generalize all mutualisms. However, quantitative models have been developed for particular types of mutualisms (e.g., plant-pollinator interactions) (Mitchell et al. 2009).
Foraging Bombus bee
Figure 1: Foraging Bombus bee
This Bombus bee is foraging on the flowers of Dicentra cucullaria (L.) Bernh.; pollen is visible on the underside of the bee. (Courtesy of Julie Wittmer)anation: