Imagine that an acacia tree in the ant-plant mutualism is introduced to an island without ants. Over evolutionary time, natural selection from the lack of ants would probably lead to acacia trees that produce

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The presence of ants in the ant-plant mutualism results in the ants protecting the acacia tree from herbivores, thereby decreasing the need for the tree to produce large amounts of nectar to attract ants. Therefore, in the absence of ants, natural selection would likely favor acacia trees that produce less nectar, as there is no longer a selective pressure to produce large quantities of nectar for ant protection.

Imagine That an Acacia Tree in the Ant-Plant Mutualism Is