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
Wolves lose their predatory edge in mid-life, study shows
Oct 26, 2009 |
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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 |
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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 |
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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 |
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(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 |
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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 |
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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 |
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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 |
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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 |
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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 |
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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 ...
Men better at distance vision due to hunter-gatherer past: study
Medicine & Health / Psychology & Psychiatry
Jul 30, 2009 |
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Men are better at seeing things in the distance due to their hunter-gatherer past chasing animals, while women are better focusing on things at close range, a British study said Thursday.
Looking different 'helps animals to survive'
Jul 23, 2009 |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- In the animal kingdom, everything is not as it seems. Individuals of the same species can look very different from each other - what biologists term 'polymorphism.'
Water webs connect spiders, residents in Southwest
Jun 25, 2009 |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- If you are a cricket and it is a dry season on the San Pedro River in Arizona, on your nighttime ramblings to eat leaves, you are more likely to be ambushed by thirsty wolf spiders, or so ...
Snail venoms reflect reduced competition
May 20, 2009 |
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A study of venomous snails on remote Pacific islands reveals genetic underpinnings of an ecological phenomenon that has fascinated scientists since Darwin.
Climate change driving Michigan mammals north
May 12, 2009 |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- Some Michigan mammal species are rapidly expanding their ranges northward, apparently in response to climate change, a new study shows. In the process, these historically southern species ...
