3. The Last of Us - Paras edition: Coevolution

Adapt or Die! The Evolutionary Biology of Pop Culture

Episode Description:
Welcome to this brand new episode of Adapt or Die! The evolutionary biology of pop culture hosted by Austin Ashbaugh. The current cultural phenomenon we are discussing this season is Pokémon and todays episode is focused on the grass type. Our evolutionary connection to the normal type is coevolution.
In the Safari Zone, I get into how symbiotic relationships evolve with a few different grass type case studies. During the pokémon professors rant, I appropriately rant about how we need more coevolution informed evolution lines. Lastly, we will end todays episode with describing a regional variant of the croagunk and morelull evolutionary lines and results from our latest pokémon spectacular competition. Sit back and relax in a chair older than yourself, open an old dusty tome, and join me as we adapt or die!
Link to Google Slides of Pokémon discussed in this episode
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Song credits: Music by Gregor Quendel from Pixabay
Logo design: Austin Ashbaugh, Chase Ashbaugh, Xander Allen
Resources cited for research in this episode:
1. Alexandersson, R., & Johnson, S. D. (2002). Pollinator–mediated selection on flower–tube length in a hawkmoth–pollinated Gladiolus (Iridaceae). _Proceedings of the Royal Society of London. Series B: Biological Sciences_, _269_(1491), 631-636
2. Bush, G. L. (1992). Host race formation and sympatric speciation in Rhagoletis fruit flies (Diptera: Tephritidae). _Psyche: A Journal of Entomology_, _99_(4), 335-357.
3. Cartaxana, P., Morelli, L., Cassin, E., Havurinne, V., Cabral, M., & Cruz, S. (2023). Prey species and abundance affect growth and photosynthetic performance of the polyphagous sea slug Elysia crispata. _Royal Society Open Science_, _10_(8), 230810.
4. https://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/User:PardescanSlowbro/Symbiotic_Relationships
5. https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/earth-and-planetary-sciences/red-queen-hypothesis
6. https://www.serebii.net/pokemon/type/grass/