IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/nat/natcom/v12y2021i1d10.1038_s41467-021-24154-0.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Social transmission in the wild can reduce predation pressure on novel prey signals

Author

Listed:
  • Liisa Hämäläinen

    (University of Cambridge
    Macquarie University
    University of Jyväskylä)

  • William Hoppitt

    (University of London)

  • Hannah M. Rowland

    (University of Cambridge
    Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology
    Zoological Society of London)

  • Johanna Mappes

    (University of Jyväskylä
    University of Helsinki)

  • Anthony J. Fulford

    (University of Cambridge)

  • Sebastian Sosa

    (Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, IPHC, UMR 7178)

  • Rose Thorogood

    (University of Cambridge
    University of Helsinki
    University of Helsinki)

Abstract

Social transmission of information is taxonomically widespread and could have profound effects on the ecological and evolutionary dynamics of animal communities. Demonstrating this in the wild, however, has been challenging. Here we show by field experiment that social transmission among predators can shape how selection acts on prey defences. Using artificial prey and a novel approach in statistical analyses of social networks, we find that blue tit (Cyanistes caeruleus) and great tit (Parus major) predators learn about prey defences by watching others. This shifts population preferences rapidly to match changes in prey profitability, and reduces predation pressure from naïve predators. Our results may help resolve how costly prey defences are maintained despite influxes of naïve juvenile predators, and suggest that accounting for social transmission is essential if we are to understand coevolutionary processes.

Suggested Citation

  • Liisa Hämäläinen & William Hoppitt & Hannah M. Rowland & Johanna Mappes & Anthony J. Fulford & Sebastian Sosa & Rose Thorogood, 2021. "Social transmission in the wild can reduce predation pressure on novel prey signals," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 12(1), pages 1-11, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:12:y:2021:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-021-24154-0
    DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-24154-0
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-021-24154-0
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1038/s41467-021-24154-0?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Jordán, Ferenc, 2022. "The network perspective: Vertical connections linking organizational levels," Ecological Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 473(C).

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:12:y:2021:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-021-24154-0. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    We have no bibliographic references for this item. You can help adding them by using this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.nature.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.