Journal
EVOLUTION
Volume 68, Issue 3, Pages 696-704Publisher
WILEY
DOI: 10.1111/evo.12294
Keywords
nonconsumptive mortality; consumptive mortality; natural selection; predation; prey defenses; Adaptation
Categories
Funding
- National Science Foundation [DEB-1255318]
- Division Of Environmental Biology
- Direct For Biological Sciences [1255318] Funding Source: National Science Foundation
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Predators frequently exert natural selection through differential consumption of their prey. However, predators may also cause prey mortality through nonconsumptive effects, which could cause selection if different prey phenotypes are differentially susceptible to this nonconsumptive mortality. Here we present an experimental test of this hypothesis, which reveals that nonconsumptive mortality imposed by predatory dragonflies causes selection on their damselfly prey favoring increased activity levels. These results are consistent with other studies of predator-driven selection, however, they reveal that consumption alone is not the only mechanism by which predators can exert selection on prey. Uncovering this mechanism also suggests that prey defensive traits may represent adaptations to not only avoid being consumed, but also for dealing with other sources of mortality caused by predators. Demonstrating selection through both consumptive and nonconsumptive predator mortality provides us with insight into the diverse effects of predators as an evolutionary force.
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