Chapter 17: Symbioses
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- Introduce and explore the types of mutualisms, parasitisms, commensalisms
- Explore theories that explain the evolution of mutualisms
- Discuss hypotheses regarding the maintenance of mutualistic relationships
A commensal relationship occurs when one species benefits from a close prolonged interaction, while the other neither benefits nor is harmed. A mutualism occurs when two species benefit from their interaction, and can be generalized into three types: resource-resource, service-resource, and service-service. Many mutualisms are thought to have evolved from antagonistic interactions, such as parasite-host relationships.