Summary:
- Coevolution occurs when species of organisms change in response to a change in the environment.
- As one species changes, the other species must also change in order to adapt.
- Flowering plants depend on insects for pollination, so have evolved colors, shapes, scents that are attractive to certain insect species.
- Insects, in turn, have evolved mouthparts, senses, and flight patterns that allow them to benefit from specific floral “offerings,” shown in the Figure below.
- The endosymbiotic theory describes a special form of co-evolution.