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Related Experiment Video

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A Real-Time Interactive System for Studying Confrontational Pursuit Behavior in Rodents

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Sensory-based niche partitioning in a multiple predator - multiple prey community.

Jay J Falk¹, Hannah M ter Hofstede², Patricia L Jones³

¹Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14850, USA Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Apartado 0843-03092 Balboa, Ancón, Panama jjf266@cornell.edu.

Proceedings. Biological Sciences

|May 22, 2015

Summary

Predators that eavesdrop on prey signals can specialize on different prey features, allowing multiple predator species to coexist. This sensory-based niche partitioning drives the evolution of diverse prey communication signals.

Keywords:

eavesdropping gleaning bats katydids predator–prey diversity sensory-based niche partitioning

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Area of Science:

Ecology
Evolutionary Biology
Bioacoustics

Background:

Predators often eavesdrop on prey communication signals, but most studies focus on single predator-prey interactions.
In reality, predators encounter multiple prey species, and prey face diverse predators, complicating signal evolution dynamics.
Understanding how predator communities shape prey signals is crucial for explaining biodiversity.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate niche partitioning mechanisms among multiple eavesdropping predator species.
To determine how predator sensory preferences influence prey signal evolution in a community context.
To explore the role of acoustic feature divergence in predator coexistence and prey signal diversity.

Main Methods:

Studied four substrate-gleaning bat species and 12 sympatric katydid species in the Neotropics.
Assessed bat morphology, echolocation signals, prey-handling abilities, and prey selection based on acoustic song features.
Analyzed acoustic properties of male katydid songs and bat preferences for specific song characteristics.

Main Results:

Bat species showed similarities in physical traits and echolocation but diverged in their preferred acoustic features of katydid songs.
Each bat species exhibited a unique preference for specific song characteristics, indicating sensory-based niche partitioning.
This divergence facilitates the coexistence of multiple bat predators and contributes to the diversity of katydid mating signals.

Conclusions:

Sensory-based niche partitioning among eavesdropping predators is a key mechanism for predator community assembly.
Divergent predator preferences for prey signal features drive the evolution of signal diversity in prey populations.
This study provides insights into how complex predator-prey communities shape communication signal evolution.