Coevolutionary Processes: Men’s Counterstrategies and Women’s Responses to Them

Abstract

Abstract As we discussed in chapter 7, biologists have long recognized that species may coevolve with other species in an antagonistic fashion; for example, the coevolution of predator– prey, host–pathogen, or competitors for the same food source. Through antagonistic coevolution, new adaptations in one species (e.g., traits in predators that increase their ability to capture prey) evoke selection on the other species (e.g., prey) to evolve counteradaptations (e.g., defenses)—which may then produce selective pressures on the 0rst species to counter those counteradaptations, and so on. Antagonistic coevolution of adaptation and counteradaptation can continue through long stretches of evolutionary time, resulting in persistent evolutionary change in both species. As we also discussed, just as genes within two species’ genomes can antagonistically coevolve in response to their interaction, genes within a single species can coevolve antagonistically. Sexually antagonistic coevolution is a prime example. (For a general discussion of intersexual conKict theory and evidence in nonhuman animals, see, in particular, Arnqvist & Rowe, 2005; Burt & Trivers, 2006; Chapman, Arnqvist, Bangham, & Rowe, 2003; Hammerstein & Parker, 1987; Holland & Rice, 1999; Parker, 1979a; Rice, 1996; Rice & Holland, 1997.)