Predator and Prey Studies Flashcards
What did Cook (2012) find?
The found that dark peppered moths disappeared faster than the light moths, illustrating that visual predation by birds is the major cause of the rapid changes in the frequency of dark peppered moths.
What did Cuthill et al. (2005) find?
This study used different patterned wings on meal worms to test the effects of disruptive coloration on predation. The artificial moths with patterned edges were predated least, demonstrating the effectiveness of disruptive coloration against bird predators.
What did Skelhorn et al. (2010) find?
Some chicks had experience with a hawthorn branch with leaves, some experienced a visual manipulated hawthorn branch and others had no stimulus. Birds with prior experience of the twigs took longer to attack the species of twig-resembling caterpillar than the birds with no experience, or experience with the purple twig. This illustrates that masquerade promotes the misidentification of the organism.
What did Stevens et al. (2008) find?
They used a computer “game” with human to test the effects of dazzle markings on capturing moving prey. The results showed that some conspicuous patterns are highly effective at hindering capture and some specific patterns also prevent predators being able to estimate speed and direction.
