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108 results for “apex predation”
Data from: Cascading effects of apex predator recovery on rodent foraging activity and seed predation
This dataset was collected to examine the effects of apex predator presence on post-dispersal seed predation and rodent foraging behavior in Mediterranean ecosystems of southern Spain. The study focused on the Iberian lynx (Lynx pardinus) as a top predator capable of altering mesopredator and small mammal communities through cascading interactions. We used the fleshy-fruited tree Pyrus bourgaeana as a model species and conducted a seed predation experiment in two areas with and without lynx presence. A total of 1152 seeds were placed in 144 seed depots across forest and open habitats and three microhabitat types (rock, shrub, and open ground). Rodent activity and foraging behavior were monitored using 36 camera traps installed at a subset of seed depots, and rodent abundance was estimated with live trapping one week later. The dataset includes seed predation counts, camera-trap records of rodent visits, live-trapping results, and vegetation cover estimates. These data allow investigation of how predation risk and habitat structure influence rodent activity and post-dispersal seed predation dynamics in Mediterranean landscapes.
Data from: Do introduced apex predators suppress introduced mesopredators? A multiscale spatiotemporal study of dingoes and feral cats in Australia suggests not
<p>1. The role of apex predators in structuring ecosystems through the suppression of mesopredator activity and abundance is receiving increasing attention, largely due to the potential benefits for biodiversity conservation. In Australia, invasive mesopredators such as feral cats (Felis catus) have been identified as major contributors to Australia's mass mammal extinctions since European arrival. The introduced dingo (Canis familiaris) has been proposed as a novel way to suppress the impacts of feral cats, however scientific evidence of the dingo's suppressive role is equivocal. 2. We used camera traps to investigate whether a large introduced predator (dingo) suppresses the activity of an established introduced mesopredator (feral cat) across a national park site conserving endangered species, and an agricultural site supporting cattle grazing enterprises. 3. Feral cats and dingoes exhibited marked overlap in both temporal and spatial activity, indicating coexistence. Some temporal separation was evident at the agricultural site, however this reflected higher diurnal activity by dingoes, not a responsive shift in cat activity. Cat activity times were unrelated to dingo presence and did not differ between areas occupied by dingoes and dingo-free areas. There was no evidence of dingoes excluding cats from patches at either site, nor was there evidence of within-night fine-scale spatiotemporal avoidance of dingoes by cats. 4. Species co-occurrence models revealed dingoes had no negative effect on the probability of cat presence. The probability of detecting a cat on the national park was significantly higher in areas with dingoes than in dingo-free areas, while on agricultural land, cat detectability did not differ between areas with and without dingoes. Cats remained active, abundant and widespread across both sites, with evidence of cats hunting and breeding successfully in areas occupied by dingoes. 5. Synthesis and applications. Our findings indicate that feral cats can coexist with dingoes, without apparent suppression of cat activity, abundance, or fitness. Proposals to reintroduce or restore dingoes and other large predators to suppress invasive mesopredators and conserve biodiversity should be carefully evaluated on a site-by-site basis, as their ability to suppress cats and protect species of conservation significance will likely be context dependent.</p>
FIGURE 10 in Were terror birds the apex continental predators of Antarctica? New findings in the early Eocene of Seymour Island
FIGURE 10. Paleoenvironmental reconstruction of the Ypresian continental communities of Seymour Island. A large Cariamiform hunting a medium-sized ungulate and staring at Notiolofos regueroi (Mammalia: Sparnotheriodontidae), a couple of marsupials on a tree, Antarctoboenus carlinii (Aves, Falconiformes) flying on the sky, and a flightless Ratites in the back.
FIGURE 7 in Were terror birds the apex continental predators of Antarctica? New findings in the early Eocene of Seymour Island
FIGURE 7. Ungual phalanx of representatives of the most relevant groups compared with the Antarctic specimens described in this study. A, Antarctic fossil MLP-PV 13-XI-28-546; B, Chunga incerta (Cariamiformes); C, Vultur gryphus (Cathartiformes); D, Caracara plancus (Falconiformes); E, Geranoaetus melanoleucus (Accipitriformes); F, Ninox novaeseelandiae (Strigiformes); G, Casuarius casuarius (Casuariformes); H, Dromaius novaehollandiae (Struthioniformes); I, Rhea americana (Rheiformes); J, Tinamus solitarius (Tinamiformes); K, Penelope obscura and L, Crax fasciolata (Galliformes); M, Otis tarda (Otidiformes); N, Chauna torquata (Anseriformes); O, Macronectes giganteus (Procellariiformes); P, Anthropornis grandis (giant Antartic Sphenisciformes); and Q, Pygoscelis antarctica (modern Sphenisciformes). Scale bar: 10 mm.
FIGURE 4 in Were terror birds the apex continental predators of Antarctica? New findings in the early Eocene of Seymour Island
FIGURE 4. Fossil cariamiforms examined here. Ungual phalanx of the second right digit MLP-PV 13-XI-28-546 (A, C, E, G) in lateral (A), dorsal (C), medial (E), and proximal (G) views, and ungual phalanx of second digit MLP-PV 14-I- 10-199 (B, D, F) in lateral or medial (B, F) and dorsal (D) views. Scale bar: 10 mm.
FIGURE 3 in Were terror birds the apex continental predators of Antarctica? New findings in the early Eocene of Seymour Island
FIGURE 3. Linear and angular measurements taken on the schematic ungual phalanges in A-B lateral, and C, proximal views. Abbreviations: BH, basal height; HAF, maximum height of the articular facet; ICA, inner curvature angle; LFT, flexor tubercle length; OCA, outer curvature angle; TL, total length; and WAF, maximum width of articular facet.
FIGURE 6 in Were terror birds the apex continental predators of Antarctica? New findings in the early Eocene of Seymour Island
FIGURE 6. Biplot of the Principal Component Analyses (PCA). A, Analysis without normalization of data; B, Analysis with variables converted into indexes. Abbreviations: BH, basal height; HAF, maximum height of the articular facet; ICA, inner curvature angle; LFT, flexor tubercle length; OCA, outer curvature angle; TL, total length; and WAF, maximum width of articular facet.
FIGURE 2 in Were terror birds the apex continental predators of Antarctica? New findings in the early Eocene of Seymour Island
FIGURE 2. Anatomical terms used for descriptions and comparisons (after Baumel et al., 1993) in A, dorsal; B, lateral; and C, proximal views. Abbreviations: ap. phal., apex phalanx; corp. phal., corpus phalangis; cot. art., cotyla articularis (articular or proximal face); cot. art. lat., cotyla articularis lateralis; cot. art. med., cotyla articularis medialis; sulc. neur., sulcus neurovascularis (neurovascular sulcus); tuberc. ext., tuberculum extensorium (extensor tubercle); tuberc. flex., tuberculum flexorium (flexor tubercle).
FIGURE 5 in Were terror birds the apex continental predators of Antarctica? New findings in the early Eocene of Seymour Island
FIGURE 5. Morphological differences between the ungual phalanges of each digit (I, II, II, and IV) of Cariama cristata (A-D) and Psilopterus colzecus (E) in A, lateral; B, dorsal; C, plantar; D and E, proximal (articular) views (not scaled).
FIGURE 1 in Were terror birds the apex continental predators of Antarctica? New findings in the early Eocene of Seymour Island
FIGURE 1. Geological map of the Seymour Island showing the fossiliferous sites where MLP-PV 13-XI-28-546 and MLP-PV 14-I-10-199 were found (A) and the corresponding stratigraphy of the locality IAA 2/13 (B), in the James Ross Basin (C), West Antarctica (D). Modified from Montes et al. (2019).
FIGURE 9 in Were terror birds the apex continental predators of Antarctica? New findings in the early Eocene of Seymour Island
FIGURE 9. Three-dimensional reconstructions (not scaled) of different ungual phalanges. The dotted lines indicate the transversal cut areas shown below each phalanx. The arrowheads mark the path of the neurovascular sulcus and/or neurovascular canal along the phalanx. A, Patagornis marshi (MLP-PV 20-85, digit III); B, Patagornis marshi (MLP-PV 20-86, digit III); C, Psilopterus colzecus (MLP-PV 76-VI-12-2, digit II); D, Brontornis burmeisteri (MLP-PV 20-570, digit III); E, Phorusrhacos longissimus (MLP-PV 67-VIII-28-1, digit II); F, Andrewsornis abbotti MLP-PV 59-II-26-83 (digit II).
FIGURE 8 in Were terror birds the apex continental predators of Antarctica? New findings in the early Eocene of Seymour Island
FIGURE 8. Antarctic ungual phalanx compared with different Phorusrhacidae species in lateral view. A, MLP-PV 13- XI-28-546; B, Phorusrhacos longissimus (AMNH 9497 taken from Sinclair and Farr 1932 and mirrored); C, Procariama simplex MACN 8275; D, Phorusrhacus (MLP-PV 20-572); E, Paraphysornis brasiliensis; F, Patagornis marshi MLP-PV 20-184; G, Procariama simplex MACN 8225; H, Devincenzia pozzi MACN Pv 6681; I, Titanis walleri (calcotype UF 10417); J, Psilopterinae indet. MLP-PV 90-III-5-56; K, Mesembriornis milneedwardsi MACN Pv 5944; L, Patagornis marshi MLP-PV 20-164; M, Psilopterus colzecus MLP-PV 76-VI-12-2; N, Psilopterinae indet. MPEF-PV 12256; O, MMP s/n Phorusrhacidae (re-drawn from Cenizo et al., 2012). Scales bar: 10 mm (except for C, G, M, and N where the scale represents 20 mm).
Fig. 2 in Analysis of propagule pressure and genetic diversity in the invasibility of a freshwater apex predator: the peacock bass (genus Cichla)
Fig. 2. Structure bar plots of probabilities of assignment of each individual from populations of CP in green (1 - TOC, 2 - ITU, 3 - ML and 4 - FU) and CK in red (5 - TOC, 6 - ITU, 7 - TRM, 8 - RD). Probabilities of assignment (q) of each individual to each cluster are shown along the x-axis.
Data from: Frugivory-mediated trophic cascades: How apex predators can shape the recruitment of a fleshy-fruited tree
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Do introduced apex predators suppress introduced mesopredators? A multiscale spatiotemporal study of dingoes and feral cats in Australia suggests not
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Droughts reshape apex predator space use and intraguild overlap
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Data from: Population structure, connectivity and demographic history of an apex marine predator, the bull shark Carcharhinus leucas
Knowledge of population structure, connectivity and effective population size remains limited for many marine apex predators, including the bull shark Carcharhinus leucas. This large-bodied coastal shark is distributed worldwide in warm temperate and tropical waters, and uses estuaries and rivers as nurseries. As an apex predator, the bull shark likely plays a vital ecological role within marine food webs, but is at risk due to inshore habitat degradation and various fishing pressures. We investigated the bull shark's global population structure and demographic history by analysing the genetic diversity of 370 individuals from 11 different locations using 25 microsatellite loci and three mitochondrial genes (CR, nd4, cytb). Both types of markers revealed clustering between sharks from the Western Atlantic and those from the Western Pacific and the Western Indian Ocean, with no contemporary gene flow. Microsatellite data suggested low differentiation between the Western Indian Ocean and the Western Pacific, but substantial differentiation was found using mitochondrial DN A. Integrating information from both types of markers and using Bayesian computation with a random forest procedure (ABC-RF), this discordance was found to be due to a complete lack of contemporary gene flow. High genetic connectivity was found both within the Western Indian Ocean and within the Western Pacific. In conclusion, these results suggest important structuring of bull shark populations globally with important gene flow occurring along coastlines , highlighting the need for management and conservation plans on regional scales rather than oceanic basin scale.
Data from: Cascading effects of climate variability on the breeding success of an edge population of an apex predator
<p>1. Large-scale environmental forces can influence biodiversity at different levels of biological organization. Climate, in particular, is often associated to species distributions and diversity gradients. However, its mechanistic link to population dynamics is still poorly understood.</p> <p>2. Here, we unraveled the full mechanistic path by which a climatic driver, the Atlantic trade winds, determines the viability of a bird population.</p> <p>3. We monitored the breeding population of Eleonora's falcons in the Canary Islands for over a decade (2007-2017) and integrated different methods and data to reconstruct how the availability of their prey (migratory birds) is regulated by trade winds. We tracked foraging movements of breeding adults using GPS, monitored departure of migratory birds using weather radar, and simulated their migration trajectories using an individual-based, spatially explicit model.</p> <p>4. We demonstrate that regional easterly winds regulate the flux of migratory birds that is available to hunting falcons, determining food availability for their chicks and consequent breeding success. By reconstructing how migratory birds are pushed towards the Canary Islands by trade winds, we explain most of the variation (up to 86%) in annual productivity for over a decade.</p> <p>5. This study unequivocally illustrates how a climatic driver can influence local-scale demographic processes, while providing novel evidence of wind as a major determinant of population fitness in a top predator. 06-Jul-2020</p>
Data from: Competition between apex predators? Brown bears decrease wolf kill rate on two continents
Trophic interactions are a fundamental topic in ecology, but we know little about how competition between apex predators affects predation, the mechanism driving top-down forcing in ecosystems. We used long-term datasets from Scandinavia (Europe) and Yellowstone National Park (North America) to evaluate how grey wolf (Canis lupus) kill rate was affected by a sympatric apex predator, the brown bear (Ursus arctos). We used kill interval (i.e. the number of days between consecutive ungulate kills) as a proxy of kill rate. Although brown bears can monopolize wolf kills, we found no support in either study system for the common assumption that they cause wolves to kill more often. On the contrary, our results showed the opposite effect. In Scandinavia, wolf packs sympatric with brown bears killed less often than allopatric packs during both spring (after bear den emergence) and summer. Similarly, the presence of bears at wolf-killed ungulates was associated with wolves killing less often during summer in Yellowstone. The consistency in results between the two systems suggests that brown bear presence actually reduces wolf kill rate. Our results suggest that the influence of predation on lower trophic levels may depend on the composition of predator communities.
Data from: Residential development alters behavior, movement, and energetics in an apex predator, the puma
Human development strongly influences large carnivore survival and persistence globally. Behavior changes are often the first measureable responses to human disturbances, and can have ramifications on animal populations and ecological communities. We investigated how a large carnivore responds to anthropogenic disturbances by measuring activity, movement behavior, and energetics in pumas along a housing density gradient. We used log-linear analyses to examine how habitat, time of day, and proximity to housing influenced the activity patterns of both male and female pumas in the Santa Cruz Mountains. We used spatial GPS location data in combination with Overall Dynamic Body Acceleration measurements recorded by onboard accelerometers to quantify how development density affected the average distances traveled and energy expended by pumas. Pumas responded to development differently depending on the time of day; at night, they were generally more active and moved further when they were in developed areas, but these relationships were not consistent during the day. Higher nighttime activity in developed areas increased daily caloric expenditure by 10.1% for females and 11.6% for males, resulting in increases of 3.4 and 4.0 deer prey required annually by females and males respectively. Our results support that pumas have higher energetic costs and resource requirements in human-dominated habitats due to human-induced behavioral change. Increased energetic costs for pumas are likely to have ramifications on prey species and exacerbate human-wildlife conflict, especially as exurban growth continues. Future conservation work should consider the consequences of behavioral shifts on animal energetics, individual fitness, and population viability.
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Allen Brain Atlas
Allen Brain Atlas is an Allen Institute collection of brain map atlases, datasets, APIs, and analysis tools covering mouse, human, and non-human primate brain resources.
Annotated Behaviour and Observability Dataset (ABODe)
ABODe is a University of Edinburgh DataShare dataset for behavior classification in group-housed mice using home-cage video, identities, bounding boxes, ground-plate positions, and annotator labels.
DANDI Archive for NWB datasets
DANDI is a BRAIN Initiative archive for publishing and sharing neurophysiology data, including electrophysiology, optophysiology, and behavioral data packaged as NWB and related standards.
International Brain Laboratory public data
The International Brain Laboratory public data releases expose standardized mouse decision-making experiments, including Neuropixels recordings, widefield calcium imaging, behavior, and session metadata accessed through the ONE API.
OpenNeuro
OpenNeuro is a free, open platform for sharing neuroimaging datasets, with public search, dataset pages, and download paths for web, S3, DataLad, and the OpenNeuro CLI.