What are some examples of evolutionary arms race?

Examples

The Phytophthora infestans/Bintje potato interaction.
Bats and moths.
The rough-skinned newt and the common garter snake.
Predator whelk and the hard-shelled bivalve prey.
Floodplain death adders and separate species of frogs.

Why can evolution be described as an evolutionary arms race?

At the same time, the fitness of the host is decreasing, so that the selective pressure on the host to fend off the parasites increases. These close mutual adaptations are described as evolutionary arms race because any adaptation of the partner causes co- adaptation of the other.

How can interactions between predators and prey result in an evolutionary arms race?

The mutual evolution of predator and prey has often been conceived of as an arms race. This analogy implies that the evolution in the predator population of improved abilities to capture prey should result in an evolutionary response in the prey that improves its abilities to avoid capture.

How do moths detect bats?

In order to confuse bats, male as well as female moths respond to the echolocation calls of bats by emitting a single or a series of click calls in the ultrasonic range (Nakano, 2015).

How do bats find moths?

Bats love to eat moths, which they hunt down using a biological sonar technique, known as echolocation. In the arms race between predator and prey, some moths have evolved ears so they can hear the ultrasonic calls of bats and take evasive action.

What’s an example of convergent evolution?

Convergent evolution is when different organisms independently evolve similar traits. For example, sharks and dolphins look relatively similar despite being entirely unrelated. Another lineage stayed put in the ocean, undergoing tweaks to become the modern shark.

Are bats and moths related?

Moths developed an early warning system to defend against the new way bats attack. Moths have evolved ears which allow them to hear bat echolocation, execute evasive flight manoeuvres and avoid being eaten. Bats break off their attack on moths when the moths emit their high-frequency clicks.

How do bats and moths affect each other’s evolution?

The evolutionary arms race between bats and moths was initiated by bats evolving echolocation, which allowed them to detect moths in complete darkness. Echolocation is a form of biological sonar. Moths have evolved ears which allow them to hear bat echolocation, execute evasive flight manoeuvres and avoid being eaten.

Can moths confuse bats?

Moths May Confuse Bats By Emitting Loud Ultrasound From Genitals As Defense Mechanism (VIDEO) Talk about a multi-purpose tool. Several species of tropical moth can rasp their genitals against their abdomens to beam loud ultrasound signals at approaching bats, possibly throwing the hunters off course.

How do moths avoid bats?

As soon as a moth perceives an approaching bat, it tries to avoid being eaten by performing quick escape maneuvers like zig-zagging flights, loops, tight turns, passive dives or power dives. These are the same behaviors as seen in many other prey species, such as doubling-back in rabbits fleeing predators.

Are bats and butterflies convergent evolution?

Convergent evolution. A bat darting out of its cave at twilight. In the case of bats, birds and butterflies — none of which share a common ancestor that flew — they all “converged” on the ability of flight as a useful trait in response to environmental stimuli and biological goals.