Trees often produce secondary chemicals to deter herbivores from feeding on their leaves; in turn, many herbivores have developed ways of avoiding or detoxifying these chemicals. This is an example of
A) parasite predation.
B) predatory avoidance.
C) parasitic evolution.
D) coevolution.
E) competitive exclusion.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

This is an example of coevolution, where two or more species reciprocally affect each other's evolution. In this case, the evolution of trees to produce chemicals and the evolution of herbivores to deal with those chemicals demonstrate how species can evolve in response to each other's adaptations.

Trees Often Produce Secondary Chemicals to Deter Herbivores from Feeding