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Related Concept Videos

Predator-Prey Interactions02:39

Predator-Prey Interactions

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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.
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Types of Selection01:46

Types of Selection

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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...
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Frequency-dependent Selection01:21

Frequency-dependent Selection

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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.
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Limits to Natural Selection01:38

Limits to Natural Selection

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Organisms that are well-adapted to their environment are more likely to survive and reproduce. However, natural selection does not lead to perfectly adapted organisms. Several factors constrain natural selection.
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Competition02:34

Competition

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When organisms require the same limited resources within an environment, they may have to compete for them. Competition is a net-negative interaction. Even if two competing individuals or populations do not interact directly, the overall fitness of both competitors is lowered as a result of not having full access to the limited resource.
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What is Natural Selection?01:32

What is Natural Selection?

125.3K
Natural selection is an evolutionary process in which individuals with survival-promoting traits reproduce at higher rates. These favorable traits become more common within a population or species. Naturally selected traits initially arise via random genetic mutations. In order for selection to occur, there must be variation within a population, the trait controlling the variation must be heritable, and there must be an evolutionary advantage for variation in the trait.
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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Dec 25, 2025

Assaying Predatory Feeding Behaviors in Pristionchus and Other Nematodes
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Assaying Predatory Feeding Behaviors in Pristionchus and Other Nematodes

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Predators weaken prey intraspecific competition through phenotypic selection.

Adam M Siepielski1, Adam Z Hasik1, Taylor Ping1

  • 1Department of Biological Sciences, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR, 72701, USA.

Ecology Letters
|April 1, 2020
PubMed
Summary

Predators influence prey competition not just by eating them, but also by selecting for traits. This study shows predator selection can alter how prey density affects growth, impacting food web dynamics.

Keywords:
Adaptationcompetitiondensity dependenceeco-evofood webpredationselection

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Area of Science:

  • Ecology
  • Behavioral Ecology
  • Evolutionary Ecology

Background:

  • Predators significantly influence food web dynamics by regulating prey populations.
  • Beyond direct consumption, predators can exert indirect effects through phenotypic selection on prey traits.
  • Understanding the interplay between consumptive and trait-mediated effects is crucial for predicting ecological interactions.

Discussion:

  • Predator-induced selection against high activity rates in damselflies weakened density-dependent growth.
  • Field experiments demonstrated that predator presence modifies the impact of prey density on growth rates.
  • Spatial variation in predator density leads to varied selection pressures, influencing prey competition.

Key Insights:

  • Predator consumptive effects and trait-mediated effects are coupled, jointly regulating prey competition.
  • Phenotypic selection by predators can alter the strength of competition among prey species.
  • Ecological models must integrate both consumption and selection to accurately represent predator impacts.

Outlook:

  • Further research should explore the long-term consequences of trait-mediated competition on population persistence.
  • Investigating predator-prey interactions across diverse ecosystems will reveal broader patterns of selection.
  • Understanding these complex dynamics is vital for effective conservation and ecosystem management strategies.