What relationship is characterized by both species benefiting from their interaction?

The relationship characterized by both species benefiting from their interaction is mutualism. In mutualistic relationships, the interaction between the two species leads to positive effects for both parties involved. For instance, many flowering plants and their pollinators, such as bees, exemplify mutualism. The plants gain assistance with reproduction as the pollinators transfer pollen from one flower to another, while the pollinators receive food in the form of nectar. This reciprocal benefit is the hallmark of mutualism, distinguishing it from other types of interactions.

In contrast, commensalism involves one species benefiting while the other is neither helped nor harmed, parasitism is where one species benefits at the expense of the other, and antagonism describes interactions that usually involve one species harming another. These differences clarify why mutualism is the correct answer.