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Sexual cannibalism and population viability.

Adam M Fisher1, Stephen J Cornell1, Gregory I Holwell2

  • 1Institute of Integrative Biology University of Liverpool Liverpool UK.

Ecology and Evolution
|July 25, 2018
PubMed
Summary

Sexual cannibalism, where females eat males, can harm population growth and increase extinction risk, especially with high rates or low benefits. Post-copulatory cannibalism may benefit populations if females gain fecundity.

Keywords:
arachnidcannibalismextinctionextinction vortexmantispopulation growthpopulation survival

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Area of Science:

  • Ecology
  • Evolutionary Biology
  • Behavioral Ecology

Background:

  • Sexual cannibalism, a mating behavior where females consume males, is common in predatory invertebrates.
  • While individual fitness effects are known, population-level impacts of sexual cannibalism remain understudied.
  • Environmental changes may exacerbate negative population effects.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To model the population-level effects of sexual cannibalism on population growth rate and extinction risk.
  • To investigate how fecundity benefits derived from cannibalism influence population dynamics.
  • To differentiate the impacts of pre- and post-copulatory cannibalism.

Main Methods:

  • Development of a mathematical model to simulate population dynamics.
  • Construction of an individual-based model to assess extinction risk.
  • Analysis of varying rates of sexual cannibalism and associated fecundity benefits.

Main Results:

  • Sexual cannibalism negatively impacts population growth and increases extinction risk without fecundity benefits.
  • Increased fecundity benefits from cannibalism generally enhance population growth and reduce extinction risk.
  • High cannibalism rates (>70%) can lead to population decline and extinction, even with benefits.
  • Pre-copulatory cannibalism significantly reduces population growth rates.
  • Post-copulatory cannibalism can positively affect population growth when fecundity benefits are present.

Conclusions:

  • Sexual cannibalism poses a risk to population viability, particularly with high rates or low fecundity benefits.
  • Environmental changes, such as reduced food availability, could increase cannibalism frequency and decrease its benefits, raising extinction risk.
  • Understanding these dynamics is crucial for predicting population persistence in changing environments.