the Red Queen hypothesis

The Red Queen hypothesis explains how species must constantly adapt and evolve to survive amid ongoing changes in their environment and interactions with other organisms. It’s named after the Red Queen’s race in “Alice in Wonderland,” where one must run just to stay in the same place. For example, prey animals develop better defenses, prompting predators to evolve sharper senses or stronger hunting skills. This continuous cycle of adaptation keeps both sides in a kind of evolutionary arms race, where standing still means falling behind, even as neither necessarily gets "better" overall.