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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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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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How animals obtain and eat their food is called foraging behavior. Foraging can include searching for plants and hunting for prey and depends on the species and environment.
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Overview
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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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Extraction of Venom and Venom Gland Microdissections from Spiders for Proteomic and Transcriptomic Analyses
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Prey specificity of predatory venoms.

Ondřej Michálek1,2, Glenn F King2,3, Stano Pekár1

  • 1Department of Botany and Zoology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kotlářská 2, Brno, 611 37, Czech Republic.

Biological Reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society
|July 11, 2024
PubMed
Summary

Predatory venom evolves to be more potent against specific prey due to evolutionary arms races. This study explores venom prey specificity, its drivers, and implications for predator-prey dynamics.

Keywords:
adaptationcone snailsecologypreysnakesspecialisationspidersvenom compositionvenom potency

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Area of Science:

  • Evolutionary Biology
  • Biochemistry
  • Zoology

Background:

  • Venom is a crucial adaptation for predators, enabling chemical immobilization of prey.
  • Evolutionary arms races between predators and prey drive venom potency and composition.
  • Dietary specialization is hypothesized to lead to prey-specific venom efficacy.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate hypotheses on the evolution of venom prey specificity.
  • To investigate the influence of restricted diet, prey defenses, and prey resistance.
  • To discuss prey specificity as a potential evolutionary dead end and review current knowledge.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review and synthesis of existing research on venom prey specificity.
  • Analysis of evolutionary pressures shaping venom composition in predators with restricted diets.
  • Examination of case studies in snakes, cone snails, and spiders.

Main Results:

  • Evidence suggests that predators with restricted diets may evolve venoms with higher potency against their primary prey.
  • Prey defenses and resistance significantly influence the evolution of venom specificity.
  • Current evidence for widespread venom prey specificity is limited, necessitating further research.

Conclusions:

  • Venom prey specificity is shaped by predator-prey evolutionary dynamics and dietary habits.
  • Further research employing robust methodologies is required to fully understand venom specificity.
  • Prey-specific toxins hold potential for diverse applications, including in medicine and biotechnology.