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Linking Predation Risk, Herbivore Physiological Stress and Microbial Decomposition of Plant Litter

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Persistent predator-prey dynamics revealed by mass extinction.

Lauren Cole Sallan¹, Thomas W Kammer, William I Ausich

¹Department of Organismal Biology and Anatomy, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA. lsallan@uchicago.edu

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America

|May 4, 2011

Summary

Predator-prey dynamics significantly influenced ancient ecosystems. The end-Devonian Hangenberg event demonstrated how predator removal led to prey diversification, while increased predation caused declines in other species.

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Area of Science:

Paleontology
Evolutionary Biology
Ecosystem Dynamics

Background:

Predator-prey interactions are fundamental to modern ecosystems and macroevolutionary history.
Inferring trophic relationships and predator roles in the fossil record is challenging, often leading to the underestimation of predation's macroevolutionary impact.
Evidence for ancient predation is typically limited to failed attack damage, stomach contents, or modern analogs.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the role of vertebrate predation in macroevolutionary events using the end-Devonian Hangenberg event as a natural experiment.
To reveal persistent trophic interactions by examining predator removal and addition effects on a stable prey fauna.
To understand the impact of predation pressure and legacy adaptations on crinoid diversification and decline.

Main Methods:

Utilized the Hangenberg event (359 Mya) as a natural experiment involving vertebrate predator removal and addition.
Analyzed crinoid diversification patterns in relation to changing predation pressures.
Examined the role of 'legacy adaptations' in the decline of Mississippian camerate crinoids.

Main Results:

Crinoids exhibited predatory release and diversified following the removal of vertebrate predators during the Hangenberg event.
Mississippian camerate crinoids declined due to increased predation from newly evolved durophagous fishes.
Failure of camerate crinoids was linked to obsolete defenses that hindered coevolutionary escalation.

Conclusions:

Major crinoid evolutionary phenomena, such as diversification and turnover, are significantly linked to vertebrate predation.
Ecological interactions like Lotka-Volterra cycles and trophic cascades can operate at geologic timescales.
Trophic effects and the retention of obsolete traits are likely common consequences of predator extinction events.