Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 29, 2026
06:25
A Real-Time Interactive System for Studying Confrontational Pursuit Behavior in Rodents
Published on: May 16, 2025
Experimental evolution of a microbial predator's ability to find prey.
Kristina L Hillesland1, Gregory J Velicer, Richard E Lenski
1Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA. hilleskl@u.washington.edu
Proceedings. Biological Sciences
|October 4, 2008
Summary
Predatory bacteria evolved better searching skills when prey was scarce. However, this adaptation reduced their ability to survive starvation, showing a trade-off in evolved foraging behaviors.
Area of Science:
- Evolutionary biology
- Behavioral ecology
- Microbial ecology
Background:
- Foraging theory explains how prey availability shapes predator behavior.
- Phenotypic plasticity in predator behavior is known, but evolutionary responses are less studied.
- Understanding the evolution of foraging strategies is key to predator-prey dynamics.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the evolutionary effects of prey density on predator foraging behaviors.
- To examine how searching and handling efficiencies evolve under different prey distributions.
- To assess trade-offs associated with evolved foraging proficiency.
Main Methods:
- Used the bacterial predator Myxococcus xanthus and prey Escherichia coli.
- Evolved 16 predator populations for nearly a year on low-density and high-density prey patches.
- Quantified changes in searching and handling behaviors and reproductive strategies (fruiting body formation).
Main Results:
- Predators evolved significantly greater searching rates when exposed to low prey density.
- Handling performance improved in some populations, but was not significantly affected by prey density.
- Increased foraging proficiency correlated with a reduced capacity for producing survival-enhancing fruiting bodies.
Conclusions:
- Prey density drives the evolution of specific foraging behaviors, particularly searching efficiency.
- Evolved foraging strategies can involve trade-offs, such as reduced starvation survival capacity.
- Results support foraging theory by demonstrating adaptive evolution of predator behavior to prey availability.
Related Concept Videos
01:24Evolution of New Traits in Microbes
Microorganisms evolve rapidly due to their large population sizes and short generation times, often exhibiting measurable changes within days under laboratory conditions. Natural selection acts on standing genetic variation, enabling the retention and amplification of beneficial traits that confer fitness advantages in changing environments.Adaptive Pigment Regulation in RhodobacterIn Rhodobacter, a genus of purple non-sulfur bacteria, light-harvesting pigments such as bacteriochlorophyll and...
01:28Microbial Interactions: Predation
Microbial predation refers to the process by which one microorganism kills and consumes another to obtain nutrients and energy. It encompasses both bacterial and protozoan predators. This interaction plays a crucial role in shaping microbial communities and regulating nutrient cycling.Bacterial Predators: Epibiotic vs. EndobioticBacterial predators are classified based on their mode of attack as either epibiotic or endobiotic. Epibiotic predators, such as Vampirococcus, attach to the surface of...
02:39Predator-Prey Interactions
Predators consume prey for energy. Predators that acquire prey and prey that avoid predation both increase their chances of survival and reproduction (i.e., fitness). Routine predator-prey interactions elicit mutual adaptations that improve predator offenses, such as claws, teeth, and speed, as well as prey defenses, including crypsis, aposematism, and mimicry. Thus, predator-prey interactions resemble an evolutionary arms race.Although predation is commonly associated with carnivory, for...
01:26Evolutionary Processes in Microbes
Microbial evolution occurs rapidly due to short generation times and a variety of genetic processes, including horizontal gene transfer, mutation, recombination, and genetic drift. These mechanisms collectively enable microbes to adapt swiftly to changing environments.Horizontal gene transfer (HGT) allows genes to move between different species and occurs through three main mechanisms: conjugation, transformation, and transduction. Conjugation involves direct cell-to-cell contact for DNA...
01:08Evolution of Microbial Genome
Microbial genome evolution is a highly dynamic process shaped by continual gene gain and loss across species and strains. This genomic flexibility allows microorganisms to adapt rapidly to environmental pressures and interactions with other organisms. Central to understanding this diversity is the distinction between the core and pan genomes.The core genome comprises the genes shared by all sampled strains of a species, representing essential functions needed for fundamental cellular processes.
01:32What is Natural Selection?
Natural selection is an evolutionary process in which individuals with survival-promoting traits reproduce at higher rates. These favorable traits become more common within a population or species. Naturally selected traits initially arise via random genetic mutations. In order for selection to occur, there must be variation within a population, the trait controlling the variation must be heritable, and there must be an evolutionary advantage for variation in the trait.The Theory of Natural...