Setting an evolutionary trap: could the hider strategy be maladaptive for white-tailed deer?

Area of Science:

• Ecology
• Evolutionary Biology
• Wildlife Management

Background:

• Evolutionary traps occur when environmental changes render previously adaptive behaviors maladaptive.
• Nonnative species introductions, such as coyotes (Canis latrans) in the southeastern USA, can create novel predation pressures.
• White-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) populations may be affected by coyote presence through predation and behavioral shifts.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the antipredator strategies of neonate white-tailed deer in response to novel coyote predation risk.
• To determine if existing antipredator behaviors are adaptive or maladaptive in the presence of coyotes.
• To analyze the relationship between bedsite selection, movement rate, and predation by coyotes.

Main Methods:

• Radiocollaring of neonate white-tailed deer to track movement rates.
• Characterization of bedsite selection, including plant cover and diversity.
• Analysis of selection gradients to determine coyote predation impacts on neonate behavior and bedsite characteristics.

Main Results:

• Neonate white-tailed deer selected bedsites with greater plant cover, consistent with a hider strategy.
• Contrary to expectations, neonates that moved less and bedded in denser cover were more likely to be preyed upon by coyotes.
• Natural selection favored greater neonate movement and bedsites in less dense cover, indicating a reversal of typical antipredator strategies.

Conclusions:

• The introduction of coyotes has created an evolutionary trap for white-tailed deer neonates in the southeastern USA.
• Antipredator behaviors that were once adaptive are now maladaptive due to novel predation pressures.
• Understanding these shifts is crucial for wildlife management and conservation efforts concerning both predator and prey populations.