In a type of relationship known as mutualism, two different species benefit from one another through cooperation. While some ...

Codependency between humans gets a bad rap. But in nature, species often rely on each other for survival. While humans think they’re in control of relationships between other species, like dogs and ...

It’s mutualism we’ll mostly look at today. Two types of mutualism occur in animal relationships. Obligate mutualism is when both species depend on the interaction for survival. Facultative mutualism ...

Cattle egrets live on insects. And in the savannah, insects congregate on the ubiquitous water buffalo. In sub-Saharan Africa, for example, you'll find these birds constantly perched atop buffalo ...

Scientists discovered that swollen-thorn acacias invested more in ant rewards during a drought, suggesting that mutualistic interactions play a crucial role in the plant’s survival, even during ...

Clownfish and sea anemones enjoy a mutually beneficial symbiotic relationship. Anemones and clownfish are inseparable. Clownfish hunt predators that eat anemone tentacles. They also rid the anemones ...

If you enjoyed this article, I’d like to ask for your support. Scientific American has served as an advocate for science and industry for 180 years, and right now may be the most critical moment in ...

If your child is putting on their school uniform for the first few times, and learning their way from the school gate into their reception class, they're going through what education researchers like ...

Although these terms are often used interchangeably, there is a subtle difference between them. Mutualism is always a two-way street where both parties benefit, while symbiosis also includes ...

Nature is full of surprises, but nothing is more mind-blowing than how some animals form life-saving partnerships to thrive together. This is called mutualism, and it's often anything but ordinary. In ...