Predation
hideIn ecology, predation describes a biological interaction where a predator (an organism that is hunting) feeds on its prey, (the organism that is attacked). Predators may or may not kill their prey prior to feeding on them, but the act of predation always results in the death of the prey. The other main category of consumption is detritivory, the consumption of dead organic material (detritus). It can at times be difficult to separate the two feeding behaviors, for example where parasitic species prey on a host organism and then lay their eggs on it for their offspring to feed on its decaying corpse. The key characteristic of predation however is the predator's direct impact on the prey population. On the other hand, detritivores simply eat what is available and have no direct impact on the "donor" organism(s).
Selective pressures imposed on one another has led to an evolutionary arms race between prey and predator, resulting in various antipredator adaptations.
For more information about Predation, read the full article at
Wikipedia.
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News tagged with predators
Loss of top predators causing surge in smaller predators, ecosystem collapse
Oct 01, 2009 |
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The catastrophic decline around the world of "apex" predators such as wolves, cougars, lions or sharks has led to a huge increase in smaller "mesopredators" that are causing major economic and ecological disruptions, ...
Scientists conduct shark survey off US East Coast
Aug 13, 2009 |
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Sandbar, dusky and tiger sharks are among dozens of shark species living in the coastal waters off the U.S. East Coast. Little is known about many of the species, but a survey begun nearly 25 years ago is helping scientists ...
How does this grab you? Study identifies first ancestor with a 'grasping hand'
Other Sciences / Archaeology & Fossils
Jul 29, 2009 |
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In the Late Paleozoic (260 million years ago), long before dinosaurs dominated the Earth, ancient precursors to mammals took to the trees to feed on leaves and live high above predators that prowled the land, ...
Noise pollution negatively affects woodland bird communities
Jul 23, 2009 |
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A new University of Colorado at Boulder study shows the strongest evidence yet that noise pollution negatively influences bird populations, findings with implications for the fate of ecological communities ...
Wolf reintroduction proposed in Scottish Highland test case
Jul 20, 2009 |
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Researchers are proposing in a new report that a major experiment be conducted to reintroduce wolves to a test site in the Scottish Highlands, to help control the populations and behavior of red deer that ...
Evolution of a contraceptive for sea lamprey
Jun 25, 2009 |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- In addition to providing fundamental insights into the early evolution of the estrogen receptor, research by a team at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine may lead to ...
Common fish species has 'human' ability to learn
Jun 17, 2009 |
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Although worlds apart, the way fish learn could be closer to humans' way of thinking than previously believed, suggests a new research study.
Not 1, but 2 kinds of males found in the invasive round goby
Jun 15, 2009 |
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Scientists have found the existence of two types of males of a fiercely invasive fish spreading through the Great Lakes, which may provide answers as to how they rapidly reproduce.
Siberian jays use complex communication to mob predators
Jun 08, 2009 |
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When mobbing predators, Siberian jays use over a dozen different calls to communicate the level of danger and predator category to other members of their own group. A Swedish study from Uppsala University, published in the ...
Birds use social learning to enhance nest defense
Jun 04, 2009 |
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Reed warblers live with the threat that a cuckoo bird will infiltrate their nest, remove one of their eggs, and replace it with the cuckoo's own. This 'parasitism' enables the cuckoo to have its young raised by unsuspecting ...
When evolution is not so slow and gradual
Jun 02, 2009 |
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What's the secret to surviving during times of environmental change? Evolve…quickly.
Neandertals sophisticated and fearless hunters
Other Sciences / Archaeology & Fossils
May 14, 2009 |
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Neandertals, the 'stupid' cousins of modern humans were capable of capturing the most impressive animals. This indicates that Neandertals were anything but dim. Dutch researcher Gerrit Dusseldorp analysed their daily forays ...
Predators ignore peculiar prey
May 12, 2009 |
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Rare traits persist in a population because predators detect common forms of prey more easily. Researchers writing in the open access journal BMC Ecology found that birds will target salamanders that look l ...
Playing Dead Increases Survival Rate at the Expense of Active Neighbors
Apr 30, 2009 |
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A study published in the Proceeding of The Royal Society B entitled "Tonically Immobilized Selfish Prey Can Survive By Sacrificing Other", authored by researchers at Okayama University in Japan point out de ...
First albino buffalo spotted in Kenyan park
Apr 24, 2009 |
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Rangers in Kenya's Hellsgate National Park have spotted an albino buffalo, the first of its kind ever recorded in the wildlife rich country, park officials said Friday.
