Coevolution of prey-predators, Biology

Assignment Help:

Predation is a process by which one organism (predator) eats another organism (prey). If the prey population is abundant, the predator population also becomes abundant. If the predators are abundant and efficient, there will be a reduction in the abundance of the prey population. Prey-predator relationships can be visualised as a game in which each player tries to outwit the other. If you consider the prey population, only individuals better adapted to escape predation would survive and reproduce. So in a prey-predator population with varying degrees of efficiency (the variations are genetically determined), the prey species evolve at the avoidance of the predator and the predator species evolves towards maintaining predation and making it more efficient. Such a coevolution of the predator-prey relationship may continue indefinitely over long periods without causing extinction of both the species.

This is achieved by improving the efficiency of the predator and the resistance of the prey in a balanced way. Natural selection aims at a faster improvement of the efficiency of an inefficient predator than the resistance in an already resistant prey. But in a vulnerable victim, the resistance is evolved faster than the efficiency of an already efficient predator. Such balancing acts by natural selection do not allow any one of the two species to win the race.

There are several examples of natural selection having produced complex adaptations as a consequence of long term evolutionary process. These adaptations manifest themselves both among the predators and prey organisms. Examples among the predators are: the long and slimy tongue and the accurate aim of insectivorous lizards; the elaborate webs of the spiders; the social hunting behaviour of the lions. Cryptic toloration, fleetness, noxious substances and toxins, alarm calls and posting of sentinels can be cited as instances of adaptations evolved by prey organisms as defensive measures.


Related Discussions:- Coevolution of prey-predators

Explain microorganisms associated with the raw foods, Explain Microorganism...

Explain Microorganisms Associated With The Raw Foods? Foods of animal and plant origin are in direct contact with air, soil and water and get contaminated with the microorganis

Explain the importance of the auxin, a) How is the milk production regulate...

a) How is the milk production regulated by hormones in human female? Define. b) Explain the importance of the auxin / cytokinin ratio in plant tissue culture.

Salts responsible for the cellular osmotic regulation, Q. What are the majo...

Q. What are the major mineral salts responsible for the cellular osmotic regulation? The main ions that act in the regulation of the osmotic pressure in tissues and cells are t

What is the histological nature of the glands, What is the histological nat...

What is the histological nature of the glands? How are they formed? The glands are epithelial tissues. They are made of epithelium that throughout the embryonic development inv

When it is said that a bacteria is an obligate anaerobe, What is meant when...

What is meant when it is said that a bacteria is an obligate anaerobe? Obligate anaerobes are the living beings that do not survive in the presence of oxygen. For instance, the

What are the obstructive lesions of aorto pulmonary window, what are the Ob...

what are the Obstructive Lesions of Aorto Pulmonary Window? These lesions can be divided into two groups: 1) Ventricular outflow obstructive lesions i.e. Aortic Stenosis (AS) P

Historical example for scaling from individual to ecosystems, Define Histor...

Define Historical example for scaling from individual to ecosystems? Biological oceanographers have long utilized physiologically based models like the Droop model, which reduc

Write Your Message!

Captcha
Free Assignment Quote

Assured A++ Grade

Get guaranteed satisfaction & time on delivery in every assignment order you paid with us! We ensure premium quality solution document along with free turntin report!

All rights reserved! Copyrights ©2019-2020 ExpertsMind IT Educational Pvt Ltd