Predator and anti-predator behaviour

Question 1

what is the hare’s dilemma?

Answer 1

do you produce larger, less stressed and less active offspring

or more stressed, more active, smaller ones

Question 2

what is the evolutionary arms races?

Answer 2

life-dinner principle, the prey is trying to evade capture and the predator trying to catch it

Question 3

what leads to prey selection

Answer 3

genetic preference/predisposition

individual learning (sampling new items)

social learning (learning to eat what other eat)

Question 4

how to detect prey

Answer 4

predators might have a different range of electromagnetic waves which can be detected. Bees with ultraviolet light. Snakes detect infrared radiation

Question 5

sound reception of species

Answer 5

elephants detect 16Hz
and pigeons 0.5Hz… detecting infrasound

bats and dolphins can detect ultrasound

Question 6

generalists and specialist predators

Answer 6

generalist - take different prey (environment variable)

specialist - eat only one type of prey, become an expert at capturing prey and are more successful

Question 7

what did umwelt argue ?

Answer 7

that the world was different to each species as the perceptual world is experienced specific to that species

star-nose mole, navigate underground

Question 8

what is the principle of proper mass?

Answer 8

larger cortical sensory regions are associated with enhanced discriminative abilities

Question 9

what helps with prey capture?

Answer 9

anatomical adaptations

tool-assisted capture

cooperation (two species that work together to capture prey)

Question 10

anti-predator tactics (primary and secondary defences)

Answer 10

primary defences (before attack/detection) = immobilisation, camouflage and mimicry

secondary defences (after attack/detection) = flight, chemical defence and attack (mobbing)

Question 11

what is taste aversion?

Answer 11

based on one trial learning, a species learning to avoid eating a particular prey. The taste is associated with nausea and sickness

Question 12

what is Predator fear ?

Answer 12

it causes an increase in vigilance and a reduction in foraging and increases anxiety

(glucocorticoid production )

Question 13

Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenocortical axis and stress: acute or chronic

Answer 13

acute stress/HPA = is beneficial…energy mobilising and induces the flight or fight response

chronic stress/HPA= is deleterious… reproductive suppression and depressed immune response and reduced growth

Question 14

developmental effects that occur after exposure to predator cues

Answer 14

invertebrates - changes in body shape, body armature and changes in metamorphosis

snowshoe hare- more stressed, smaller size and more vigilant

Question 15

types of adaptation

Answer 15

evolution (species)

developmental (individual)