Scientists at the University of Bristol have shown how predator can overcome their prey's erratic behavior by adapting their own.
The well-held theory that behaving unpredictably helps animals survive encounters with predator is challenged by the study.
Prey species from across the animal kingdom choose to escape in a variety of directions instead of fleeing directly away from a predator. Scientists believe that unpredictability helps them evade capture by keeping the predator guessing.
Researchers from Bristol's School of Biological Sciences were able to experiment with the idea of predatory fish attacking robotic prey. The new research suggests that predator can change their behavior to counteract the benefits of unpredictable escape tactics.
The robotic prey started each experiment motionless before running away once the predator got too close. Their escape direction could beprogrammed in advance. The researchers were able to vary how predictable the prey's escape direction was over a series of interactions with the predator.
One of the advantages of using robotic prey is that it allowed us to present individual predator with one of two prey escape strategies: 'predictable' prey which repeatedly escaped in the same direction from one interaction with the predator to the next' or 'unpredictable' prey.
The speed of approach was adjusted by the prey's escape direction and the prey's location. The adjustment occurred before the prey was able to escape, suggesting that the predator was able to anticipate the prey's behavior. Prey facing unpredictable prey did not adjust their approach speed to match their escape angle.
Prey faced with unpredictable prey performed just as well as those hunting predictable prey over the course of a pursuit. Prey faced with unpredictable prey were able to compensate by speeding up in the later stages of the pursuit despite being deprived of reliable information.
The results of the study suggest that the predator was able to overcome the drawbacks of facing prey. The question of whether unpredictable behavior is as beneficial as was originally thought is raised by this.
The findings could be significant for the evolution of escape behavior. They suggest that the behavioral characteristics of the predator, such as its ability to counter adapt, may be important in determining whether being unpredictable is beneficial to prey.
One of the main messages from our research is that predator behavior can have dramatic consequences for the success of prey survival strategies.
More information: Andrew W. Szopa-Comley et al, Responsive robotic prey reveal how predators adapt to predictability in escape tactics, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (2022). DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2117858119 Journal information: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
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