what is the difference between coexistance and coevolution of some speciers.?

Question

is there any species that i could use to demonstrate the difference if there is one..

Answer 1

G'day Shauna Khairulazha,

Thank you for your question.

Coexistence means to exist together at the same time in the same place. It means that species A and species B have had no greater impact.

Coevolution is a stronger relationship. It means the mutual evolutionary influence between two species. Each party in a co-evolutionary relationship exerts selective pressures on the other, thereby affecting each others' evolution. Co-evolution includes the evolution of a host species and its parasites, in examples of mutualism evolving through time. Few perfectly isolated examples of evolution can be identified. Evolution in response to abiotic factors, such as climate change, is not coevolution (since climate is not alive and does not undergo biological evolution). Evolution in a one-on-one interaction, such as that between a specialized host-symbiont or host-parasite pair, is coevolution. But many cases are less clearcut: a species may evolve in response to a number of other species, each of which is also evolving in response to a set of species. This situation has been referred to as "diffuse coevolution". And, certainly, for many organisms, the biotic (living) environment is the most prominent selective pressure, resulting in evolutionary change.

Examples of co-evolution include pollination of orchids by hummingbirds. These species co-evolve because the birds are dependent on the flowers for nectar and the flowers are dependent on the birds to spread their pollen so they can reproduce. The evolutionary process has led to long-billed birds and deep flowers.

Co-evolution also occurs between predator and prey species.
Co-evolution does not imply mutual dependence. The host of a parasite, or prey of a predator, does not depend on its enemy for persistence.

An example of coevolution is a hummingbird and orchid as mentioned above. An alligator and orchid is an example of coexistance in that they live in the same environment but have no impact on each other.

Regards