Which type of ecological relationship can promote beneficial traits through selective interactions?

Mutualism is the type of ecological relationship that can promote beneficial traits through selective interactions. In this relationship, both species involved gain benefits from each other, which can lead to evolutionary adaptations and increased fitness for both parties. For example, in a mutualistic relationship between bees and flowers, bees obtain nectar for food while simultaneously pollinating the flowers, which promotes reproduction in the plants. Over time, this reciprocal interaction can lead to the development of traits that enhance the survival and reproductive success of both species, illustrating how mutualism drives the evolution of beneficial traits through natural selection.

Other ecological interactions, such as predation, commensalism, and parasitism, do not focus on mutual benefits. Predation typically involves one organism benefiting at the expense of another, while commensalism involves one species benefiting without affecting the other, and parasitism benefits one organism at the cost of the other. These relationships do not generally foster the kind of cooperative evolution that mutualism does.