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Predator-Prey Interactions

Predator-Prey Interactions

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.

Types of Selection

Types of Selection

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...

Background and Environment Affect Phenotype

Background and Environment Affect Phenotype

Although the genetic makeup of an organism plays a major role in determining the phenotype, there are also several environmental factors, such as temperature, oxygen availability, presence of mutagens, that can alter an organism’s phenotype.
An example of how genetic background affects phenotype can be seen in horses. The Extension gene in horses is responsible for their coat color. A wild-type gene (EE) produces black pigment in the coat, while a mutant gene (ee) produces red pigment. A...

Frequency-dependent Selection

Frequency-dependent Selection

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.

Speciation Rates

Speciation Rates

What is Natural Selection?

What is Natural Selection?

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: Jun 11, 2025

Field-Based Thermal Physiology Assay: Cold Shock Recovery under Ambient Conditions

Field-Based Thermal Physiology Assay: Cold Shock Recovery under Ambient Conditions

Published on: March 9, 2021

Temperature-dependent predation predicts a more reptilian future.

John M Grady^1,2, Jacob L Amme², Kiran Bhaskaran-Nair²

¹Living Earth Collaborative, Washington University in St. Louis, St, Louis, MO, USA.

Biorxiv : the Preprint Server for Biology

|September 30, 2024

Summary

Vertebrate diversity shifts from endotherms (mammals, birds) at poles to ectotherms (reptiles, amphibians) in tropics. Warming trends predict a future with more reptiles, altering global biodiversity patterns.

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Last Updated: Jun 11, 2025

Field-Based Thermal Physiology Assay: Cold Shock Recovery under Ambient Conditions

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Incremental Temperature Changes for Maximal Breeding and Spawning in Astyanax mexicanus

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Resurrection of Dormant Daphnia magna: Protocol and Applications

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Area of Science:

Ecology
Zoology
Climate Change Biology

Background:

Global biodiversity generally increases towards the tropics.
Thermoregulatory strategies (endothermy vs. ectothermy) may influence this pattern.
Understanding these shifts is crucial for predicting future ecosystem compositions.

Purpose of the Study:

To quantify latitudinal patterns of terrestrial vertebrate diversity based on thermoregulatory strategy.
To investigate the mechanistic link between temperature, thermoregulation, and predator-prey interactions.
To forecast future diversity shifts under climate warming.

Main Methods:

Synthesized distribution data for over 30,000 terrestrial vertebrate species.
Quantified changes in species richness and community composition along latitudinal gradients.
Conducted over 4,500 automated video tracking trials to analyze predator-prey interactions and thermal sensitivity.

Main Results:

Observed a significant shift from endotherm dominance (mammals, birds) in colder, higher-latitude regions to ectotherm dominance (reptiles, amphibians) in warmer, tropical regions.
Demonstrated that thermal sensitivity of locomotion influences predator-prey dynamics, favoring endotherms in cold and ectotherms in warm conditions.
Endotherms were observed using thermal cues to anticipate prey behavior, affecting foraging success.

Conclusions:

Vertebrate diversity patterns are strongly influenced by thermoregulatory strategy and temperature gradients.
Predator-prey interactions are mechanistically linked to temperature, shaping community composition.
Projected future warming will likely lead to an increase in ectothermic (reptilian) dominance in global vertebrate diversity.