Strong antiapostatic selection against novel rare aposematic prey - PubMed (original) (raw)
Strong antiapostatic selection against novel rare aposematic prey
L Lindström et al. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2001.
Abstract
The evolution of aposematism, a phenomenon where prey species conspicuously advertise their unprofitability to predators, is puzzling. How did conspicuousness evolve, if it simultaneously increased the likelihood of an inexperienced predator to detect the prey and presumably kill it? Antiapostatic selection, where rare prey is predated relatively more often, is considered as another major difficulty for aposematism to evolve. However, the risk of being conspicuous in low frequencies has not been experimentally tested. We designed an experiment to test how frequency (4%, 12%, 32%) of conspicuous aposematic prey and its dispersion type (solitary vs. aggregated) affect an initial predation risk of the prey and in avoidance learning of predators. Wild great tits (Parus major) were predators on artificial prey in a "novel world." The relative mortality of aposematic prey was antiapostatic, thus the frequency-dependent predation was most severe at low frequencies. In all frequencies, aggregated aposematic prey survived better than solitary prey. Surprisingly, learning was not determined by a fixed number of unpalatable prey eaten, but at low frequencies fewer aposematic individuals eaten generated predators' avoidance learning. However, per-capita risk for the prey remained highest at low frequencies. Our results underscore the problems of initial evolution of rare conspicuous morphs. Aggregated prey suffered less from predation, indicating selective advantage of aggregation over solitary living for a conspicuous individual.
Figures
Figure 1
The mean (± SE) initial relative risk of predation on aposematic prey within the first five encountered prey items, in the first trial. □ represent solitary treatments and ● aggregated treatments. The line of unity indicates that the prey is eaten at the same rate that it is presented.
Figure 2
The mean (+ SE) relative risk of predation on 2 consecutive days in three different frequencies (a) in solitary and (b) in aggregated treatment. The random line indicates where aposematic prey is eaten at the same frequency it was presented.
Figure 3
The mean (± SE) cumulative sum of aposematic prey eaten within the experiment according to the dispersion type, (a) solitary and (b) aggregated. Equal number of prey (altogether 200) was presented on both day 1 and day 2. Birds were allowed to eat 50 prey items each day. Both experimental days are divided into five sections and the numbers of aposematic prey eaten within these sections (10 eaten prey items each) are presented cumulatively. Thus, the 1 refers to the number of aposematic prey eaten within the first 10 consumed prey, 2 within the first 20 etc., and 10 referring to the number of aposematic prey eaten in the whole experiment.
Comment in
- Mimicry: an interface between psychology and evolution.
Mallet J. Mallet J. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2001 Jul 31;98(16):8928-30. doi: 10.1073/pnas.171326298. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2001. PMID: 11481461 Free PMC article. No abstract available.
Similar articles
- Predator experience on cryptic prey affects the survival of conspicuous aposematic prey.
Lindström L, Alatalo RV, Lyytinen A, Mappes J. Lindström L, et al. Proc Biol Sci. 2001 Feb 22;268(1465):357-61. doi: 10.1098/rspb.2000.1377. Proc Biol Sci. 2001. PMID: 11270431 Free PMC article. - Conditions for the spread of conspicuous warning signals: a numerical model with novel insights.
Puurtinen M, Kaitala V. Puurtinen M, et al. Evolution. 2006 Nov;60(11):2246-56. Evolution. 2006. PMID: 17236418 - Social learning within and across predator species reduces attacks on novel aposematic prey.
Hämäläinen L, Mappes J, Rowland HM, Teichmann M, Thorogood R. Hämäläinen L, et al. J Anim Ecol. 2020 May;89(5):1153-1164. doi: 10.1111/1365-2656.13180. Epub 2020 Feb 19. J Anim Ecol. 2020. PMID: 32077104 Free PMC article. - Perspective: the evolution of warning coloration is not paradoxical.
Marples NM, Kelly DJ, Thomas RJ. Marples NM, et al. Evolution. 2005 May;59(5):933-40. Evolution. 2005. PMID: 16136793 Review. - Frequency-dependent selection by predators.
Allen JA. Allen JA. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci. 1988 Jul 6;319(1196):485-503. doi: 10.1098/rstb.1988.0061. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci. 1988. PMID: 2905488 Review.
Cited by
- Exploring polymorphism in a palatable prey: predation risk and frequency dependence in relation to distinct levels of conspicuousness.
Poloni R, Dhennin M, Mappes J, Joron M, Nokelainen O. Poloni R, et al. Evol Lett. 2024 Jan 11;8(3):406-415. doi: 10.1093/evlett/qrad071. eCollection 2024 Jun. Evol Lett. 2024. PMID: 38818419 Free PMC article. - Habitat openness and predator abundance determine predation risk of warningly colored longhorn beetles (Cerambycidae) in temperate forest.
Goßmann A, Ambrožová L, Cizek L, Drag L, Georgiev K, Neudam L, Perlík M, Seidel D, Thorn S. Goßmann A, et al. J Insect Sci. 2023 Mar 1;23(2):16. doi: 10.1093/jisesa/iead027. J Insect Sci. 2023. PMID: 37116058 Free PMC article. - Eocene aposematic patterns persist in modern European Lycidae beetles despite the absence of co-mimics.
Motyka M, Kazantsev SV, Kusy D, Perkovsky EE, Yamamoto S, Bocak L. Motyka M, et al. iScience. 2023 Feb 20;26(3):106217. doi: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.106217. eCollection 2023 Mar 17. iScience. 2023. PMID: 36922999 Free PMC article. - Additive genetic variation, but not temperature, influences warning signal expression in Amata nigriceps moths (Lepidoptera: Arctiinae).
Binns GE, Hämäläinen L, Kemp DJ, Rowland HM, Umbers KDL, Herberstein ME. Binns GE, et al. Ecol Evol. 2022 Jul 17;12(7):e9111. doi: 10.1002/ece3.9111. eCollection 2022 Jul. Ecol Evol. 2022. PMID: 35866015 Free PMC article. - Responsive robotic prey reveal how predators adapt to predictability in escape tactics.
Szopa-Comley AW, Ioannou CC. Szopa-Comley AW, et al. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2022 Jun 7;119(23):e2117858119. doi: 10.1073/pnas.2117858119. Epub 2022 Jun 3. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2022. PMID: 35658072 Free PMC article.
References
- Poulton E B. The Colors of Animals: Their Meaning and Use—Especially Considered in the Case of Insects. Trench, Trübner & Co., London: Kegan Paul; 1890.
- Cott H B. Adaptive Coloration in Animals. London: Menthuen & Co.; 1940.
- Edmunds M. Defense in Animals: A Survey of Anti-Predator Defenses. New York: Longman; 1974.
- Gittleman J L, Harvey P H. Nature (London) 1980;286:149–150.
- Gittleman J L, Harvey P H, Greenwood P J. Anim Behav. 1980;28:897–899.
Publication types
MeSH terms
LinkOut - more resources
Full Text Sources