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FIG. A4 in A sabre-tooth predator from the Neotropics: Cranial morphology of Anachlysictis gracilis Goin, 1997 (Metatheria, Thylacosmilidae), based on new specimens from La Venta (Middle Miocene, Colombia)

FIG. A4. — Result of parsimony phylogenetic analysis under implied weights, with concavity constant k = 3, showing the single recovered most parsimonious tree. Numbers represent bootstrap values. Support values not given for Dasyuromorphia, as this node was constrained a priori (see text).

FIG. A5 in A sabre-tooth predator from the Neotropics: Cranial morphology of Anachlysictis gracilis Goin, 1997 (Metatheria, Thylacosmilidae), based on new specimens from La Venta (Middle Miocene, Colombia)

FIG. A5. — Result of parsimony phylogenetic analysis under implied weights, with concavity constant k = 12, showing the single recovered most parsimonious tree. Numbers represent bootstrap values. Support values not given for Dasyuromorphia, as this node was constrained a priori (see text).

FIG. A2 in A sabre-tooth predator from the Neotropics: Cranial morphology of Anachlysictis gracilis Goin, 1997 (Metatheria, Thylacosmilidae), based on new specimens from La Venta (Middle Miocene, Colombia)

FIG. A2. — Strict consensus of six most parsimonious trees obtained from the parsimony phylogenetic analysis under equal weights, including Thylacinus cynocephalus (Harris, 1808) and constraining the Dasyuromorphian clade. Numbers indicate the number of nodes.For additional information,see Synapomorphies below.

FIG. 12 in A sabre-tooth predator from the Neotropics: Cranial morphology of Anachlysictis gracilis Goin, 1997 (Metatheria, Thylacosmilidae), based on new specimens from La Venta (Middle Miocene, Colombia)

FIG. 12. — Skulls of three species of Thylacosmilidae: A, Thylacosmilus atrox Riggs, 1933; B, Patagosmilus goini Forasiepi & Carlini, 2010; C, Anachlysictis gracilis Goin, 1997. Scale bar: 20 mm.

FIG. A1 in A sabre-tooth predator from the Neotropics: Cranial morphology of Anachlysictis gracilis Goin, 1997 (Metatheria, Thylacosmilidae), based on new specimens from La Venta (Middle Miocene, Colombia)

FIG. A1. — Consensus tree resulted from the alternative phylogenetic analysis under equal weights, excluding Thylacinus cynocephalus (Harris, 1808), made to test differences in topology.

FIG. 9 in A sabre-tooth predator from the Neotropics: Cranial morphology of Anachlysictis gracilis Goin, 1997 (Metatheria, Thylacosmilidae), based on new specimens from La Venta (Middle Miocene, Colombia)

FIG. 9. — Anachlysictis gracilis Goin, 1997; VPPLT 1612, left dentary in lingual (A), labial (B) and occlusal (C) views; and right dentary in labial view (D). Abbreviations: acoc, anterior coronoid crest; an, angular process; con, mandibular condyle; cor, coronoid process; maf, masseteric fossa; manf, mandibular foramen; mc, masseteric crest (= inferior coronoid crest); mf, mental foramen; syf, symphyseal flange. Scale bars: 20 mm.

FIG. A3E, F in A sabre-tooth predator from the Neotropics: Cranial morphology of Anachlysictis gracilis Goin, 1997 (Metatheria, Thylacosmilidae), based on new specimens from La Venta (Middle Miocene, Colombia)

FIG. A3E, F. — Six most parsimonious trees (A-F) obtained from the parsimony phylogenetic analysis under equal weights, with the Dasyuromorphia node constrained.

FIG. 2 in A sabre-tooth predator from the Neotropics: Cranial morphology of Anachlysictis gracilis Goin, 1997 (Metatheria, Thylacosmilidae), based on new specimens from La Venta (Middle Miocene, Colombia)

FIG. 2. — Anachlysictis gracilis Goin, 1997; IGM 184247 (holotype). Right mandibular ramus in lateral (A) and occlusal (B) views; C, left symphyseal flange fragment in medial and lateral views; D, left cranial fragment (postorbital portion; arrow indicates anterior direction); E, left mandibular ramus fragment with m2-3 in labial and lingual views; G, left m2-3 in occlusal view. Abbreviations: Fr, frontal; La, lacrimal; Na, nasal. Scale bars: 5 mm (vertical); 20 mm (horizontal).

FIG. A3C, D in A sabre-tooth predator from the Neotropics: Cranial morphology of Anachlysictis gracilis Goin, 1997 (Metatheria, Thylacosmilidae), based on new specimens from La Venta (Middle Miocene, Colombia)

FIG. A3C, D. — Six most parsimonious trees (A-F) obtained from the parsimony phylogenetic analysis under equal weights, with the Dasyuromorphia node constrained.

opencc-by-4.0Nov 2023View details →

Monitor predation on zebra finch nest

Here, we report a detailed predation sequence, captured on film, of a sand goanna (Varanus gouldii) predating six zebra finch nestlings from a single nestbox in arid western New South Wales, Australia. The sand goanna made nine attempts to reach the nestbox by first climbing an adjacent bush and jumping onto the nestbox and eventually also by climbing up the steel post on which the box was attached.

opencc-zeroDec 2023View details →

Selection for evasive mimicry imposed by an arthropod predator

It has long been hypothesized that a species that is relatively easy to catch by predators may face selection to resemble a species that is harder to catch. Several experiments using avian predators have since supported this "evasive mimicry" hypothesis. However, the sudden movement of artificial evasive prey in each of the above experiments may have startled the predators, generating an avoidance response unrelated to difficulty of capture. Additionally, in the above experiments, the catchability of prey was all or nothing, while in nature predators may occasionally catch evasive prey or fail to catch slower species, which might inhibit learning. Here, using mantids as predators, we conducted an experimental test of the evasive mimicry hypothesis that circumvents these limitations, using live painted calyptrate flies with modified evasive capabilities as prey. We found that mantids readily learned to avoid pursuing the more evasive prey types. Warning signals based on evasiveness and their associated mimicry may be widespread phenomena in nature. These findings not only further support its plausibility but demonstrate that even arthropod predators can select for it.

opencc-zeroDec 2023View details →

Beneath the Antarctic sea-ice: Fine-scale analysis of Weddell seal (Leptonychotes weddellii) behaviour and predator-prey interactions, using micro-sonar data in Terre Adélie

In this study, we tried to assess: i) whether and how female Weddell seals feed (frequency, depth, duration) during lactation, ii) what is their utilization of a limited foraging area (benthic or pelagic dives) as they are spatially constrained by the presence of their pup, and iii) how can we characterize their foraging dives and the approach/catching phases using new tools providing a more detailed description of their behaviour. Sonar tags were deployed on three breeding female Weddell seals in Terre Adélie (East Antarctica) in November 2019, to study animals' movements and dives at high resolution (3D acceleration, magnetometry, time and depth and GPS location), as well as information on prey and predator-prey interactions using acoustic data.

opencc-zeroDec 2023View details →

Reactive response to predation risk affects foraging time of hares, yet not their phosphorus intake

Antipredator responses could affect nutrient intake, which could lead to nutritional deficits. However, little is known about the antipredator response of small herbivores because most are nocturnal or crepuscular and therefore very difficult to study in the field. Therefore, we experimentally assessed the effect of a reactive response to predation risk on the nutrient (i.e., phosphorous) intake of the European hare (Lepus europaeus) using three different playback sounds. Additionally, we studied the time spent being costly vigilant, the time spent foraging, and the vegetation height in which the hares were present using accelerometers and GPS. Our results showed that elevated predation risk from our playback experiment did not affect the (1) phosphorus intake, (2) time spent being costly vigilant, and (3) time spent in tall vegetation. However, elevated predation risk did increase the time spent foraging. Possibly hares spent more time foraging with an increased predation risk because hares cannot seek refuge from predators. Additionally, the effect on phosphorus intake could be weak because phosphorous intake does not benefit a flight escape, while the reactive response acts late in the predation sequence limiting the effect on hare ecology. Prey anti-predator responses seem strongly related to the escape tactics of prey species that can differ between different habitats and the time of the day. More detailed field studies are necessary to get a better insight into species' anti-predator-food tactics.

opencc-by-4.0Sep 2019View details →

FIGURE 4 in Specific damage recognised on land snail shells as a tool for studying predation intensity: differences related to habitat and predator types

FIGURE 4 Variation in the minimal rate of predation recorded in six samples collected in each of five habitat types. Different letters refer to significant differences (p <0.05) among habitat types, based on a generalised linear model. The central line of each box refers to the median value, box height to the interquartile range, whiskers to the non-outlier range (i.e., 1.5 times the interquartile range at each side), and small circles to outliers.

opencc-by-4.0Sep 2019View details →

FIGURE 5 in Specific damage recognised on land snail shells as a tool for studying predation intensity: differences related to habitat and predator types

FIGURE 5 Relative representation of individual predation types recognised in six samples collected at each of five habitat types. The height of the column represents the average value, while the lines indicate the standard deviation.

opencc-by-4.0Sep 2019View details →

FIGURE 2 in Specific damage recognised on land snail shells as a tool for studying predation intensity: differences related to habitat and predator types

FIGURE 2 Examples of the recorded evidence of predation caused by various predators. a) shell of Cochlicopa lubrica predated on by a snail; b) characteristic damage caused by a carabid beetle, here on a shell of Discus rotundatus; c) puparium of the parasitoid dipteran fly Pherbellia limbata within a Granaria frumentum shell (the shell was crushed manually); d) external damage to a Xerolenta obvia shell caused by bird predation; e) Drilus beetle larval exuviae within an Alinda biplicata shell (the shell was crushed manually).

opencc-zeroJan 2024View details →

Data from: The role of fish predators and their foraging traits in shaping zooplankton community structure

Differentiation of foraging traits among predator populations may help explain observed variation in the structure of prey communities. However, few studies have investigated the phenotypic effects of predators on their prey in natural communities. Here, we use a comparative analysis of 78 Greenlandic lakes to examine how foraging trait variation among threespine stickleback populations can help explain variation in zooplankton community composition among lakes. We find that landscape-scale variation in zooplankton composition was jointly explained by lake properties, such as size and water chemistry, and the presence and absence of both stickleback and arctic char. Additional variation in zooplankton community structure can be explained by stickleback jaw protrusion, a trait with known utility for foraging on zooplankton, but only in lakes where stickleback co-occur with arctic char. Overall, our results illustrate how trait variation of consumers, alongside other ecosystem properties, can influence the composition of prey communities in nature.

opencc-zeroJan 2024View details →

Water depth influences survival and predator-specific patterns of nest loss in three secretive marsh bird species

Wetlands have become increasingly rare in the United States, negatively influencing wetland-dependent birds, and many remaining wetlands are intensively managed through seasonal dewatering mimicking historic flood pulses during spring and summer. However, water around nests may provide protection from terrestrial predators, and lowering water levels during the breeding season of wetland birds may increase predation risk and exacerbate marsh bird population declines. Understanding interactions between water depth, nesting marsh birds, and nest predators is critical to aid managers in developing a multi-species management approach in emergent wetlands. During the 2020 and 2021 breeding seasons, we examined nest survival of 148 marsh bird nests (American Coot, Fulica americana, n = 1; Common Gallinule, Gallinula galeata, n = 64; and Least Bittern; Ixobrychus exilis, n = 83) and installed cameras at 78 nests to identify predators at a large, restored floodplain wetland in Illinois where the primary management technique is seasonal water removal to stimulate germination of moist soil plants. We found nest predation of, and abandonment by, Least Bittern and Common Gallinule were related to shallower water, and early season, high volume dewatering. Least Bitterns nested more commonly along wetland edges and nests farther from the shore were more likely to survive. Similarly, we found mammalian depredation of nests and nest abandonment decreased when deeper water was present around nests. Alternatively, snake predation was observed earlier in the year prior to water removal from inundated emergent vegetation. Our results demonstrate water depth may be an important deterrent of nest predators, especially mammals, during the breeding season. Further, we recommend managers delay dewatering until after the nesting season at sites where management for conservation-priority marsh birds is a focus.

opencc-zeroJan 2024View details →

Data from: A new trophic specialization buffers a top predator against climate-driven resource instability

Intraspecific phenotypic variability is key to respond to environmental changes and anomalies. However, documenting the emergence of behavioral diversification in natural populations has remained elusive due to the difficulty of observing such phenomenon at the right time and place. Here, we investigated how the emergence of a new trophic strategy in a population subjected to high fluctuations in the availability of its main trophic resource (migrating songbirds) affected the breeding performance, population structure, and population fitness of a specialized color polymorphic predator, the Eleonora's falcon from the Canary Islands. Using long-term data (2007-2022), we found that the exploitation of an alternative prey (a local petrel species) was associated with the growth of a previously residual falcon colony. Pairs in this colony laid earlier and raised more fledglings than in the other established colonies. The specialization on petreles increased over time, independently of annual fluctuations in prey availability. Importantly, however, the positive effect of petrel consumption on productivity was stronger in years with lower food availability. This trophic diversification was further associated with the genetically-determined color morph, with dark individuals preying more frequently on petreles than pale ones, which might promote the long-term maintenance of genotypic and phenotypic diversity. We empirically demonstrate how the emergence of an alternative trophic strategy can buffer populations against harsh environmental fluctuations by stabilizing their productivity.