Editing Biological interaction (section)

==== Competition ====

{{main|Competition (biology)}}

[[File:Hirschkampf.jpg|thumb|Male-male interference competition in [[red deer]]]]

Competition can be defined as an interaction between [[organism]]s or species, in which the [[fitness (biology)|fitness]] of one is lowered by the presence of another. Competition is often for a resource such as [[food]], [[water]], or [[territory (animal)|territory]] in [[Limiting factor|limited]] supply, or for access to females for reproduction.<ref name="Begon96"/> Competition among members of the same species is known as [[intraspecific competition]], while competition between individuals of different species is known as [[interspecific competition]]. According to the [[competitive exclusion principle]], species less suited to compete for resources should either [[adaptation|adapt]] or [[extinction|die out]].<ref name=hardin60>{{cite journal |author=Hardin, Garrett |title=The competitive exclusion principle |journal=Science |volume=131 |pages=1292–1297 |issue=3409 |year=1960 |url=http://www.esf.edu/efb/schulz/seminars/hardin.pdf |doi=10.1126/science.131.3409.1292 |pmid=14399717 |bibcode=1960Sci...131.1292H |access-date=2018-10-04 |archive-date=2017-11-17 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171117235048/http://www.esf.edu/efb/schulz/seminars/hardin.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref name=Pocheville2015>{{cite book | last=Pocheville | first=Arnaud | year=2015 | chapter=The Ecological Niche: History and Recent Controversies | chapter-url=https://www.academia.edu/6188833 | editor1-last=Heams | editor1-first=Thomas | editor2-last=Huneman | editor2-first=Philippe | editor3-last=Lecointre | editor3-first=Guillaume |display-editors=3 | editor4-last=Silberstein | editor4-first=Marc | title=Handbook of Evolutionary Thinking in the Sciences | location=Dordrecht | publisher=Springer | publication-date=2015 | pages=547–586 | isbn=978-94-017-9014-7}}</ref> This competition within and between species for resources plays a critical role in [[natural selection]].<ref name="SahneyBentonFerry2010LinksDiversityVertebrates">{{cite journal |last1=Sahney |first1=Sarda |last2=Benton |first2=Michael J. |author-link2=Michael Benton |last3=Ferry |first3=Paul A. |date=23 August 2010 |title=Links between global taxonomic diversity, ecological diversity and the expansion of vertebrates on land |journal=[[Biology Letters]] |volume=6 |issue=4 |pages=544–547 |doi=10.1098/rsbl.2009.1024 |pmc=2936204 |pmid=20106856 }}</ref>