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Artificial selection in human-wildlife feeding interactions
Laura L Griffin1, Amy Haigh1, Bawan Amin1
1Laboratory of Wildlife Ecology and Behaviour, SBES, University College Dublin, Dublin 4, Ireland.
The Journal of Animal Ecology
|August 5, 2022
Summary
Recreational feeding drives artificial selection in wildlife. Bolder fallow deer that beg for food have heavier fawns, suggesting this behavior impacts fitness and population traits.
Area of Science:
- Wildlife ecology
- Behavioral ecology
- Evolutionary biology
Background:
- Artificial selection via hunting/fishing is known.
- Artificial selection in non-extractive activities like recreational feeding is understudied.
- Human-wildlife interactions can influence population dynamics.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if recreational feeding causes artificial selection in wildlife.
- To test the hypothesis that non-random human-wildlife feeding interactions impact fitness.
- To examine behavioral variation in response to human feeding in fallow deer.
Main Methods:
- Studied a wild fallow deer population near a capital city.
- Observed and quantified individual willingness to beg for food.
- Assessed the relationship between begging behavior, food acquisition, and fawn weight.
Main Results:
- A non-random subset of deer consistently begs for food.
- Bolder individuals obtain more food, intercepting offerings.
- Consistent begging in females correlates with significantly heavier fawns (300-500g heavier).
Conclusions:
- Recreational feeding creates nutritional disparities in wildlife populations.
- Begging behavior, driven by boldness, may be subject to artificial selection.
- This study reveals new potential evolutionary impacts of human-wildlife feeding interactions.
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