The Coevolutionary Process Across Constantly Changing Environments

All complex organisms require coevolved interactions with other species to survive and reproduce. Coevolution shapes the web of life by contributing to the escalation of antagonistic interactions among species, the maintenance of genetic variation within species, and the formation of mutualistic symbioses. We are learning, however, that the coevolutionary process is even more ecologically dynamic than we previously suspected, creating constantly changing geographic mosaics of adaptation and counter-adaptation among groups of species. These coevolutionary mosaics may often be important in preventing the extinction of species amid ongoing environmental change. As we fragment the earth's landscapes and alter the composition of species in all major ecosystems worldwide, we are also altering the coevolutionary process in ways that we are only beginning to understand.