Predation is a widespread interaction that shapes how organisms obtain food and how species affect one another. This lesson defines predation and distinguishes it from related feeding relationships.
Predation is a biological interaction in which one organism, the predator, kills and eats another organism, its prey. In many familiar examples, such as a wolf eating a deer, the predator captures living prey and consumes it. The relationship is broader than this familiar image: predators include organisms that eat seeds, eggs, plankton, and microorganisms.
All flashcards
What is predation?
Feeding in which an organism captures and consumes another living organism, generally killing it.
How does a parasitoid larva differ from a typical predator?
It generally develops on or inside one host, which eventually dies; a predator typically consumes multiple prey.
What is aggressive mimicry?
A predator resembles or acts like something harmless or attractive to draw prey within reach.
What is intraguild predation?
Predation in which one predator kills and eats another predator.
What is coevolution?
Evolutionary change in one species influences selection and evolutionary change in an interacting species.
Quiz questions
Which sequence best describes a predator’s foraging cycle?Answer: Search, assess whether to attack, capture, and handle prey.
What does the marginal value theorem help a forager decide?Answer: How long to remain in a food patch before moving on.
What characterizes a specialist predator?Answer: It focuses on a narrow range of prey.
What makes a predator an apex predator in an ecosystem?Answer: It occupies the upper end of the food web and is not routinely preyed upon there.
How does ballistic interception differ from pursuit predation?Answer: The predator predicts where moving prey will be and attacks along an interception path.
Based on the Wikipedia article Predation, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Adapted into a summary, flashcards and quizzes.