Allometry of Defense: Predator Shift Alters Ontogenetic Growth Patterns in an Antipredator Trait.

ABSTRACT: Predation is a major factor driving prey trait diversification and promoting ecological speciation. Consequently, antipredator traits are widely studied among prey species. However, comparative studies that examine how different predators shape the ontogenetic growth of antipredator traits are scarce. In larval dragonflies, abdominal spines are effective traits against predatory fish in fish lakes, which prefer larger prey. However, defensive spines increase mortality in habitats dominated by invertebrate predators (invertebrate lakes), which prefer smaller prey. Thus, species from fish lakes may accelerate spine growth at a later body size compared to species from invertebrate lakes when growing into the preferred prey size range of predatory fish. In this study, we constructed the allome

SUBMITTER: Jiang B 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10456028 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature