Eco-evolutionary trophic dynamics: loss of top predators drives trophic evolution and ecology of prey.

ABSTRACT: Ecosystems are being altered on a global scale by the extirpation of top predators. The ecological effects of predator removal have been investigated widely; however, predator removal can also change natural selection acting on prey, resulting in contemporary evolution. Here we tested the role of predator removal on the contemporary evolution of trophic traits in prey. We utilized a historical introduction experiment where Trinidadian guppies (Poecilia reticulata) were relocated from a site with predatory fishes to a site lacking predators. To assess the trophic consequences of predator release, we linked individual morphology (cranial, jaw, and body) to foraging performance. Our results show that predator release caused an increase in guppy density and a "sharpening" of guppy trophic trai

SUBMITTER: Palkovacs EP 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3079755 | biostudies-literature | 2011 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature