2010 Fiscal Year Final Research Report
Phenotypic Plasticity in a Food Web
| Project/Area Number |
19370005
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| Research Category |
Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)
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| Allocation Type | Single-year Grants |
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| Section | 一般 |
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| Research Field |
Ecology/Environment
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| Research Institution | Hokkaido University |
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Principal Investigator |
NISHIMURA Kinya Hokkaido University, 大学院・水産科学研究院, 准教授 (30222186)
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| Project Period (FY) |
2007 – 2010
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| Keywords | 表現型可塑性 / 共食い / 防御 / 攻撃 / 相対成長 / 反応基準 / 食物網 |
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| Research Abstract |
Here, using a simple food chain consisting of a top predator (dragonfly larvae), an intermediate predator (salamander larvae), and frog tadpoles as prey, we show that the presence of dragonfly risk cues substantially modifies the intensity of antagonistic morphological plasticity in both amphibians. In the absence of dragonflies, tadpoles produced bulgier bodies in response to salamanders, and salamanders responded to this defense by enlarging their gape size. However, in the presence of dragonfly risk cues, the expression of both antagonistic traits was significantly reduced because tadpoles and salamanders produced phenotypes that are more effective against dragonfly predators.
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