[The evolutionary role of predatory mammals and mechanisms of its realization]

Considered are the interactions within food chains that allow to refine the mechanisms of selective prey taking, which is important for better understanding of the evolutionary role of predation. By use of greyhounds, the hunting by wild canids is modelled for the purpose of repeated reproduction of searching for, chasing, and taking off the prey. It is found out that parameters of chasing (i.e., speed, distance, duration) are important for hunting but not determinative. There can be a high actual selectivity determined by prey conditions and, at the same time, low success of chasing. The mechanisms of recognition of potential prey availability or unavailability are analyzed. The data are presented that indicate that superficial microflora can be considered as a common marker of various, deviations in the state of a prey. Unlike stabilizing selection, which preserves separate traits, selection by predation stabilizes the phenotype as a whole.