Thursday, October 23, 2014

Predicting the predator threatening a squirrel by analyzing its sounds and tail movements

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/10/141021125943.htm
Oct. 21, 2014
Author: University of Miami


Biologists discovered that by observing the motion of a squirrel’s tail, it could be concluded what predator it was being threatened by. Thaddeus McRae, Ph.D. '12, assistant research professor of University of Miami College of Arts Sciences, takes a closer look at the certain vocalizations and gestures of the squirrels. McRae conducted his research by designing a remote-controlled cat and hawk which threatened and recorded the responses of the squirrels. Professor Steven Green, a coworker of McRae, found that he could quite accurately predict what type of predator was threatening a squirrel by analyzing its sounds and tail movements. McRae theorizes that the squirrels use the vocal and tail alarm either as a signal to predators in letting them know that they have been spotted, or to warn other squirrels of danger. Currently, he is trying to determine how squirrels react to these warning signals from their peers.

 This article links back to Unit 1 on community ecology. We learned about how species interact in biological communities, with one interaction being predation. Predation is an interaction in which one organism eats another. Many adaptions have evolved in both predator and prey as eating or preventing to becoming eaten was necessary for survival. The prey may have adapted camouflage or mimicry, while predators may have adapted claws or fangs to catch the prey. An example of adaption is shown in McRae and Green’s experiment as they test to see if squirrels create certain movements or sounds to differentiate the predator that is attacking. This is an example of a predator-prey relationship because animals including cats and hawks play the role as predators, while the squirrels are the prey. This article also exemplifies adaption. Due to experience with certain predators, the squirrels are able to send out different messages that will identify the animal.

4 comments:

  1. How does the squirrel's tail movements differentiate between predators? Is the difference slight?

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  2. In the theory where squirrels use sounds and tail movements to tell predators that they see them, do the predators know which signal applies to them? If so, how did they acquire this knowledge?

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  3. Which tail movements by squirrels match to which predators that spotted them, meaning what tail movements by squirrels are assigned to what predators?

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  4. Answer to Leah''s question: The predators most likely would not know which tail movements/sounds apply to themselves, for the main reason behind the signals is to remind themselves and warn the surrounding squirrels. It does say in the article that the squirrels make movements also to let the predator to that they have been spotted, but I believe that the predators don't know which specific signals apply to the predators themselves.

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