Behavioral Ecology - Predator/Prey Dynamics

What is the Red Queen Evolution?

Never-ending coevolutionary “arms race,” with predators and prey evolving tactics to stay alive

What are the two adaptations used by both predator and prey?

1) Crypsis: Blend in with your environment (animal cannot be detected)

2) Masquerade: Pretend to be something you’re not (animal is detected but misidentified)

What are the four adaptations used by prey?

1) Color polymorphisms: Impede predator’s ability to use search image. Some species have different color morphs that exist in the same population
2) Start effect: Surprise and confuse predator
3) Aposematism: Warning coloration to tell predator you’re bad to eat
4) Mimicry: Mimic other repellent animals

What is the difference between Mullerian and Batesian mimicry?

Mullerian mimicry: Repellent (toxic) species look alike

Batesian mimicry: Cheating by palatable species; a non-venomous/toxic species can get away by appearing similar to a venomous/toxic species

What are three of the adaptations between cuckoos and their hosts?

1) The hosts are more likely to reject the egg if it doesn’t look enough like their eggs → In response the cuckoos have highly mimetic eggs
2) The hosts are more likely to reject an egg if it’s laid at dawn (when the host lays) → In response, the cuckoos lay at other times of day (not dawn)

3) The hosts are more likely to reject the egg if they see the cuckoo at their nest → In response the cuckoos lay super fast