Determining the fitness consequences of antipredation behavior

Publication Type:
 Journal Article
Year of Publication:
 2005
Authors:
 J. Lind, W. Cresswell
Publication/Journal:
 Behavioral Ecology
Keywords:
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ISBN:
 1045-2249 1465-7279
Abstract:

Any animal whose form or behavior facilitates the avoidance of predators or escape when attacked by predators will have a greater
probability of surviving to breed and therefore greater probability of producing offspring (i.e., fitness). Although in theory the
fitness consequences of any antipredation behavior can simply be measured by the resultant probability of survival or death,
determining the functional significance of antipredation behavior presents a surprising problem. In this review we draw attention
to the problem that fitness consequences of antipredation behaviors cannot be determined without considering the potential for
reduction of predation risk, or increased reproductive output, through other compensatory behaviors than the behaviors under
study. We believe we have reached the limits of what we can ever understand about the ecological effects of antipredation
behavior from empirical studies that simply correlate a single behavior with an apparent fitness consequence. Future empirical
studies must involve many behaviors to consider the range of potential compensation to predation risk. This is because antipredation
behaviors are a composite of many behaviors that an animal can adjust to accomplish its ends. We show that observed
variation in antipredation behavior does not have to reflect fitness and we demonstrate that few studies can draw unambiguous
conclusions about the fitness consequences of antipredation behavior. Lastly, we provide suggestions of how future research
should best be targeted so that, even in the absence of death rates or changes in reproductive output, reasonable inferences of
the fitness consequences of antipredation behaviors can be made. Key words: antipredation behaviors, fitness, predation risk
compensation, predator-prey interaction.

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