Related topics: predator
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.
This text uses material from Wikipedia and is available under the GNU Free Documentation License.
News tagged with prey
Headwater stream nutrient enrichment disrupts food web
Dec 17, 2009 |
4.2 / 5 (6) |
0
Human activity is increasing the supply of nutrients, such as nitrogen and phosphorus, to stream systems all over the world. The conventional wisdom -- bolstered by earlier research -- has held that these additional nutrients ...
Lizards change their diet to avoid predators
Dec 02, 2009 |
not rated yet |
0
A scientist from the University of Salamanca and another from Yale University have shown that the presence of predators affects the behaviour of Acanthodactylus beershebensis, a lizard species from the Ne ...
Acid test: Study reveals both losers and winners of CO2-induced ocean acidification
Space & Earth / Earth Sciences
Dec 01, 2009 |
4.3 / 5 (13) |
8
(PhysOrg.com) -- As the world’s seawater becomes more acidic due to rising atmospheric carbon dioxide, some shelled marine creatures may actually become bigger and stronger, according to a new study.
Study explores violent world of raptors
Nov 25, 2009 |
5 / 5 (1) |
0
A journey that started with a box of bird feet carried three Montana State University graduate students into the gruesome world of raptors and led to their findings being published in a prominent journal.
Skunk's Strategy Not Just Black and White
Nov 10, 2009 |
4.3 / 5 (4) |
4
Predators with experience of skunks avoid them both because of their black-and-white coloration and their distinctive body shape, according to UC Davis wildlife researcher Jennifer Hunter. The study was published ...
Wolves lose their predatory edge in mid-life, study shows
Oct 26, 2009 |
5 / 5 (1) |
0
Although most wolves in Yellowstone National Park live to be nearly six years old, their ability to kill prey peaks when they are two to three, according to a study led by Dan MacNulty and recently published ...
Migratory route of Eleonora's falcon revealed for first time
Oct 16, 2009 |
5 / 5 (3) |
0
Satellite tracking has allowed a research team to uncover the mysteries of the migration of Eleanora's falcon for the first time. In total, the bird flies more than 9,500 kilometres across the African continent ...
Fish Sense Other Fish Via Ripples
Oct 15, 2009 |
5 / 5 (2) |
0
Although humans experience their world through vision, touch and the other senses, many creatures gather information about their surroundings through unique sensory mechanisms that humans don’t have.
Study Positively Identifies Giant Squid Presence in Gulf of Mexico
Sep 21, 2009 |
4.7 / 5 (6) |
1
(PhysOrg.com) -- During a recent research cruise, a rare giant squid was captured in the Gulf of Mexico.
Scientists find 'Lucky Luke' of the seas
Sep 03, 2009 |
5 / 5 (3) |
1
Could you filter 100,000 cubic metres of syrup every day to find food in a concentration of two grains of rice per cubic metre?
Appetite spells three wolves' doom in Switzerland
Aug 28, 2009 |
5 / 5 (1) |
0
It is unclear if the three wolves were too greedy or simply hungry, but what is certain is that by killing more sheep than they should, they have violated Swiss law.
Scientists discover new species of crustacean on Lanzarote
Aug 24, 2009 |
3 / 5 (2) |
0
They gracefully swim through the complete darkness of submarine caves, constantly on the lookout for prey. Instead of eyes, predatory crustaceans of the class Remipedia rely on long antennae which search the li ...
Chicken-hearted tyrants: Predatory dinosaurs as baby killers
Other Sciences / Archaeology & Fossils
Aug 06, 2009 |
3.7 / 5 (3) |
0
Two titans fighting a bloody battle -- that often turns fatal for both of them. This is how big predatory dinosaurs like Tyrannosaurus are often depicted while hunting down their supposed prey: even larger herbivorous dinosaurs. ...
New orchid deception found: wearing the scent of hornet's prey
Aug 06, 2009 |
not rated yet |
0
Orchids are famous for their deceptions. Most of those with nothing of value to offer their pollinators lure them instead with the scents of more rewarding flowers or potential mates. Now, a report published online on August ...
Scientists find universal rules for food-web stability
Aug 06, 2009 |
5 / 5 (2) |
0
The findings, published in this week's issue of Science, conclude that food-web stability is enhanced when many diverse predator-prey links connect high and intermediate trophic levels. The computations also reveal that s ...
