Predatory senescence in ageing wolves
Ecology Letters
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Abstract
It is well established that ageing handicaps the ability of prey to escape predators, yet surprisingly little is known about how ageing affects the ability of predators to catch prey. Research into long-lived predators has assumed that adults have uniform impacts on prey regardless of age. Here we use longitudinal data from repeated observations of individually-known wolves (Canis lupus) hunting elk (Cervus elaphus) in Yellowstone National Park to demonstrate that adult predatory performance declines with age and that an increasing ratio of senescent individuals in the wolf population depresses the rate of prey offtake. Because this ratio fluctuates independently of population size, predatory senescence may cause wolf populations of equal size but different age structure to have different impacts on prey populations. These findings suggest that predatory senescence is an important, though overlooked, factor affecting predator-prey dynamics. ?? 2009 Blackwell Publishing Ltd/CNRS.
Suggested Citation
MacNulty, D., Smith, D., Vucetich, J., Mech, L., Stahler, D., Packer, C., 2009, Predatory senescence in ageing wolves: Ecology Letters, v. 12, no. 12, p. 1347-1356, https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1461-0248.2009.01385.x.
| Publication type | Article |
|---|---|
| Publication Subtype | Journal Article |
| Title | Predatory senescence in ageing wolves |
| Series title | Ecology Letters |
| DOI | 10.1111/j.1461-0248.2009.01385.x |
| Volume | 12 |
| Issue | 12 |
| Publication Date | November 08, 2009 |
| Year Published | 2009 |
| Language | English |
| Larger Work Type | Article |
| Larger Work Subtype | Journal Article |
| Larger Work Title | Ecology Letters |
| First page | 1347 |
| Last page | 1356 |