Evolutionary stability of optimal foraging: partial preferences in the diet and patch models.

Area of Science:

• Ecology
• Evolutionary Biology
• Behavioral Ecology

Background:

• Optimal foraging theory (OFT) models traditionally analyze single consumers.
• Existing OFT models lack frequency and density dependence, limiting evolutionary stability analysis for competing animals.
• Classical game theory methods are insufficient for studying evolutionary stability in OFT with competing consumers.

Purpose of the Study:

• Reanalyze patch and diet choice models of OFT.
• Investigate the evolutionary stability of optimal foraging strategies.
• Derive frequency and density dependent fitness functions for OFT.

Main Methods:

• Separation of time scales in an underlying population dynamical model.
• Derivation of frequency and density dependent fitness functions.
• Calculation of evolutionarily stable strategies (ESS).

Main Results:

• Developed new OFT models with frequency and density dependent fitness functions.
• Calculated ESS for competing consumers.
• Predicted partial preferences in optimal foraging strategies due to ecological feedback.

Conclusions:

• Ecological feedback of consumer preferences on fitness drives partial preferences in foraging strategies.
• Partial preferences align with the ideal free distribution in patch choice.
• Partial preferences manifest as including less profitable prey in diet choice.