Natural selection by pulsed predation:Survival of the thickest

Selective predation can lead to natural selection in prey populations and may alleviate competition among surviving individuals. The processes of selection and competition can have substantial effects on prey population dynamics, but are rarely studied simultaneously. Moreover, field studies of predator-induced short-term selection pressures on prey populations are scarce. Here we report measurements of density dependence in body composition in a bivalve prey (edible cockle, Cerastoderma edule ) during bouts of intense predation by an avian predator (red knot, Calidris canutus ). We measured d... Mehr ...