Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 2, 2026
06:27
Assaying Predatory Feeding Behaviors in Pristionchus and Other Nematodes
Published on: September 4, 2016
10.7K
Increased predation of nutrient-enriched aposematic prey
Christina G Halpin1, John Skelhorn, Candy Rowe
1Centre for Behaviour and Evolution, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear, UK.
Proceedings. Biological Sciences
|March 7, 2014
Summary
Birds learn to avoid toxic prey but may eat them for nutrition. European starlings increased intake of toxic prey when nutrition was boosted, showing birds use post-ingestive feedback for foraging decisions.
Area of Science:
- Behavioral Ecology
- Predator-Prey Dynamics
- Chemical Ecology
Background:
- Avian predators associate warning coloration (aposematism) with prey toxicity.
- Predators may consume toxic prey, balancing nutrient gain against toxin ingestion costs.
- The role of prey nutritional content in predator decisions regarding toxic prey is understudied.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate how nutritional content of toxic prey influences avian predator foraging decisions.
- To determine if birds use post-ingestive feedback to assess the nutritional value of toxic prey.
Main Methods:
- Experimental manipulation of the nutritional content of a toxic prey type.
- Observation of European starling (Sturnus vulgaris) feeding behavior in response to nutritional changes.
- Analysis of prey intake rates based on nutritional enrichment and cessation.
Main Results:
- European starlings significantly increased their intake of toxic prey when its nutritional content was artificially enhanced.
- Prey intake decreased when nutritional enrichment was removed, indicating adaptive foraging adjustments.
- Birds demonstrated the ability to detect and respond to nutritional content via post-ingestive feedback.
Conclusions:
- Avian predators actively assess and utilize the nutritional value of toxic prey.
- Nutritional variability in toxic prey can lead to differential predation, impacting prey defense evolution.
- Findings offer new insights into the evolutionary dynamics of aposematism and mimicry systems.
More Related Videos
10:20Linking Predation Risk, Herbivore Physiological Stress and Microbial Decomposition of Plant Litter
Published on: March 12, 2013
13.7K
16:03A Fish-feeding Laboratory Bioassay to Assess the Antipredatory Activity of Secondary Metabolites from the Tissues of Marine Organisms
Published on: January 11, 2015
8.6K
Related Concept Videos
02:39Predator-Prey Interactions
17.2K
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.
17.2K
01:21Frequency-dependent Selection
20.1K
When the fitness of a trait is influenced by how common it is (i.e., its frequency) relative to different traits within a population, this is referred to as frequency-dependent selection. Frequency-dependent selection may occur between species or within a single species. This type of selection can either be positive—with more common phenotypes having higher fitness—or negative, with rarer phenotypes conferring increased fitness.
20.1K
01:28Microbial Interactions: Predation
65
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...
65
00:48Optimal Foraging
11.8K
How animals obtain and eat their food is called foraging behavior. Foraging can include searching for plants and hunting for prey and depends on the species and environment.
11.8K
01:27Diversity of Protists II
2.3K
Alveolates are a group of organisms recognized by the presence of alveoli, which are cytoplasmic sacs located beneath the cell membrane. While their function remains uncertain, alveoli may help regulate water balance by controlling how much water enters and leaves the cell. In dinoflagellates, these structures may serve as armor plates. There are three major types of alveolates: ciliates, which move using cilia; dinoflagellates, which use flagella for movement; and apicomplexans, which are...
2.3K
01:46Types of Selection
37.5K
Natural selection influences the frequencies of particular alleles and phenotypes within populations in several different ways. Primarily, natural selection can be directional, stabilizing, or disruptive. Directional selection favors one extreme trait and shifts the population towards that phenotype while selecting against individuals displaying alternate traits. Stabilizing selection favors an intermediate trait with a narrow range of variation. Deviation from the optimal phenotype towards an...
37.5K