Hidden interactions between predators and prey: evolution causes cryptic dynamics in ecology

When the populations of two species oscillate together (for example, predators and prey), it’s a good bet that they are tightly coupled ecologically. A famous example is the Canadian lynx and snowshoe hare, documented in the trapping records of the Hudson’s Bay Company. But is the opposite also true" If the prey’s population doesn’t fluctuate while the predator’s does, can we assume they are not tightly linked in the food web?

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<p><a href="http://www.physorg.com/news108097119.html">Hidden interactions between predators and prey: evolution causes cryptic dynamics in ecology</a></p> <p>When the populations of two species oscillate together (for example, predators and prey), it’s a good bet that they are tightly coupled ecologically. A famous example is the Canadian lynx and snowshoe hare, documented in the trapping records of the Hudson’s Bay Company. But is the opposite also true" If the prey’s population doesn’t fluctuate while the predator’s does, can we assume they are not tightly linked in the food web? </p>