Food limitation leads to behavioral diversification and dietary specialization in sea otters

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
M Tim TinkerJames A Estes

Abstract

Dietary diversity often varies inversely with prey resource abundance. This pattern, although typically measured at the population level, is usually assumed to also characterize the behavior of individual animals within the population. However, the pattern might also be produced by changes in the degree of variation among individuals. Here we report on dietary and associated behavioral changes that occurred with the experimental translocation of sea otters from a food-poor to a food-rich environment. Although the diets of all individuals were broadly similar in the food-rich environment, a behaviorally based dietary polymorphism existed in the food-poor environment. Higher dietary diversity under low resource abundance was largely driven by greater variation among individuals. We further show that the dietary polymorphism in the food-poor environment included a broad suite of correlated behavioral variables and that the individuals that comprised specific behavioral clusters benefited from improved foraging efficiency on their individually preferred prey. Our findings add to the growing list of examples of extreme individuality in behavior and prey choice within populations and suggest that this phenomenon can emerge as a behav...Continue Reading

References

Oct 1, 1986·Biophysical Journal·G E KirschG S Oxford
Mar 26, 2003·The American Naturalist·Daniel I BolnickMatthew L Forister
Jun 11, 2005·Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·Michael KrützenWilliam B Sherwin
Aug 1, 1987·Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·T K Werner, T W Sherry
Jan 9, 2007·Ecological Applications : a Publication of the Ecological Society of America·M Tim TinkerJames L Bodkin
Jan 26, 2007·Proceedings. Biological Sciences·Richard Svanbäck, Daniel I Bolnick
Mar 1, 1985·Science·D SchluterP R Grant
Sep 25, 2008·The American Naturalist·B W Robinson, D S Wilson
Nov 1, 1992·The American Naturalist·S J Arnold
Jul 1, 1990·Oecologia·Ian D Thompson, Patrick W Colgan

❮ Previous
Next ❯

Citations

Jan 24, 2009·Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·Christine K JohnsonJonna A K Mazet
Aug 29, 2013·Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·Brent B HughesKerstin Wasson
Aug 14, 2012·Journal of Biological Dynamics·Andrew O Shelton, Marc Mangel
Aug 13, 2013·Behavioral Ecology : Official Journal of the International Society for Behavioral Ecology·Kayla SweeneyJonathan N Pruitt
May 14, 2010·Proceedings. Biological Sciences·Deepa Agashe, Daniel I Bolnick
Apr 15, 2011·Proceedings. Biological Sciences·Colin R ToshDaniel W Franks
Oct 9, 2013·Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological Sciences·Janet Mann, Eric M Patterson
May 1, 2012·Biological Reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society·Lena Wennersten, Anders Forsman
Oct 23, 2012·Conservation Biology : the Journal of the Society for Conservation Biology·Iadine ChadèsTara G Martin
Dec 11, 2008·PloS One·Janet MannEric Patterson
Dec 12, 2012·PloS One·Julien CucheroussetFrédéric Santoul
Mar 1, 2011·Journal of Zoo and Wildlife Medicine : Official Publication of the American Association of Zoo Veterinarians·Judy A St LegerBirgit Puschner
Apr 19, 2016·Ecology and Evolution·Andrew W Jones, David M Post
Sep 13, 2011·Ecology·Sebastian J SchreiberDaniel I Bolnick
Apr 9, 2011·Journal of Human Evolution·Paul J ConstantinoBrian R Lawn
Mar 4, 2011·Trends in Ecology & Evolution·Daniel I BolnickDavid A Vasseur
Mar 23, 2011·The Journal of Animal Ecology·Adam E Rosenblatt, Michael R Heithaus
Sep 14, 2010·The Journal of Animal Ecology·Philip MatichCraig A Layman
Dec 6, 2014·Ecology and Evolution·Jean P Gibert, Chad E Brassil
Oct 7, 2009·Evolution; International Journal of Organic Evolution·Martijn van de PolJoost M Tinbergen
Oct 3, 2009·The Journal of Animal Ecology·Rune KnudsenAnders Klemetsen
Oct 11, 2013·The Journal of Animal Ecology·Cristina TurAnna Traveset

❮ Previous
Next ❯

Related Concepts

Trending Feeds

COVID-19

Coronaviruses encompass a large family of viruses that cause the common cold as well as more serious diseases, such as the ongoing outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19; formally known as 2019-nCoV). Coronaviruses can spread from animals to humans; symptoms include fever, cough, shortness of breath, and breathing difficulties; in more severe cases, infection can lead to death. This feed covers recent research on COVID-19.

Blastomycosis

Blastomycosis fungal infections spread through inhaling Blastomyces dermatitidis spores. Discover the latest research on blastomycosis fungal infections here.

Nuclear Pore Complex in ALS/FTD

Alterations in nucleocytoplasmic transport, controlled by the nuclear pore complex, may be involved in the pathomechanism underlying multiple neurodegenerative diseases including Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and Frontotemporal Dementia. Here is the latest research on the nuclear pore complex in ALS and FTD.

Applications of Molecular Barcoding

The concept of molecular barcoding is that each original DNA or RNA molecule is attached to a unique sequence barcode. Sequence reads having different barcodes represent different original molecules, while sequence reads having the same barcode are results of PCR duplication from one original molecule. Discover the latest research on molecular barcoding here.

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Chronic fatigue syndrome is a disease characterized by unexplained disabling fatigue; the pathology of which is incompletely understood. Discover the latest research on chronic fatigue syndrome here.

Evolution of Pluripotency

Pluripotency refers to the ability of a cell to develop into three primary germ cell layers of the embryo. This feed focuses on the mechanisms that underlie the evolution of pluripotency. Here is the latest research.

Position Effect Variegation

Position Effect Variagation occurs when a gene is inactivated due to its positioning near heterochromatic regions within a chromosome. Discover the latest research on Position Effect Variagation here.

STING Receptor Agonists

Stimulator of IFN genes (STING) are a group of transmembrane proteins that are involved in the induction of type I interferon that is important in the innate immune response. The stimulation of STING has been an active area of research in the treatment of cancer and infectious diseases. Here is the latest research on STING receptor agonists.

Microbicide

Microbicides are products that can be applied to vaginal or rectal mucosal surfaces with the goal of preventing, or at least significantly reducing, the transmission of sexually transmitted infections. Here is the latest research on microbicides.