LIFE SCIENCE

Detailed explanation-1: -The common garter snake is the only known predator of the rough-skinned newt and swallows the newt whole, which prevents toxin-sampling behaviours2. Due to the simplicity of this interaction, many of the expectations theorized for toxin-mediated arms races have been observed between garter snakes and newts.

Detailed explanation-2: -The newt population has variation in poisonousness among individuals. Because of the presence of predators (snakes), the more poisonous traits were adaptive. Over time, the newts with higher poisonous level traits became more common in the newt population.

Detailed explanation-3: -A coevolutionary arms race occurs between the rough-skinned newt and the common garter snake. After newts evolved the ability to produce TTX, the snakes evolved resistance. The newt’s toxins then becomes increasingly toxic while the snakes become more and more resistant. This shows the antagonistic dynamic.

Detailed explanation-4: -According to this hypothesis, newts would have evolved toxicity in response to selection from snakes, and then the snakes would have evolved resistance in response to selection from newts, which allowed the newts to evolve slightly greater toxicity-in response to which snakes evolved greater resistance…and so on.