Question

What is commensalism?

Answer 1

Commensalism is the term used to describe a relationship between individuals of two species. In this one species obtains food or other may get benefits from the first species without either harming or benefiting the latter.
For example: Epiphytic plants.

Complete answer:
- Commensalism: It is defined as in which members of one species gain benefits while the second species neither gets benefited nor gets harmed. This is opposite of mutualism.
- Mutualism is a term in which both organisms benefit from each other.
- Amensalism is the term in which one species is harmed while the second species is unaffected.
- Parasitism is the term used to term in where one is harmed and the other benefits.

The species that get benefit from this association may get nutrients, shelter, support, or locomotion from the host species and these types of species are known as commensals. The host organism is unmodified and the commensal species may show great structural adaptation according to their habits. Various birds sit on bodies of large mammals mainly herbivores or feed on the insects turned up by grazing mammals. Those animals established a commensal relationship with humans in whom the animal gets benefited but the humans received little benefit or little harm.

Hence, the correct answer is option (B).

Note: Those animals that were most capable of taking advantage of the resources associated with human camps would have been the 'tamer' individuals which means less aggressive with shorter fights. After sometimes, these animals developed closer social and economic bonds with humans and led to a domestic relationship. For example: Dogs.