McCollum S A, Leimberger J D
Department of Zoology, Duke University, Box 90325, Durham, NC 27708-0325, USA, , , , , , US.
Department of Medicine, Duke University, Box 3850, Durham, NC 27705-3850, USA, , , , , , US.
Oecologia. 1997 Feb;109(4):615-621. doi: 10.1007/s004420050124.
Predator-induced defenses are well studied in plants and invertebrate animals, but have only recently been recognized in vertebrates. Gray treefrog (Hylachrysoscelis) tadpoles reared with predatory dragonfly (Aeshnaumbrosa) larvae differ in shape and color from tadpoles reared in the absence of dragonflies. By exposing tadpoles to tail damage and the non-lethal presence of starved and fed dragonflies, we determined that these phenotypic differences are induced by non-contact cues present when dragonflies prey on Hyla. The induced changes in shape are in the direction that tends to increase swimming speed; thus, the induced morphology may help tadpoles evade predators. Altering morphology in response to predators is likely to influence interactions with other species in the community as well.
捕食者诱导的防御机制在植物和无脊椎动物中已有充分研究，但直到最近才在脊椎动物中得到认可。与在没有蜻蜓的环境中饲养的蝌蚪相比，与捕食性蜻蜓（Aeshna umbrosa）幼虫一起饲养的灰树蛙（Hyla chrysoscelis）蝌蚪在形状和颜色上有所不同。通过使蝌蚪遭受尾部损伤，并让饥饿和饱腹的蜻蜓非致命地出现，我们确定这些表型差异是由蜻蜓捕食雨蛙时存在的非接触线索诱导产生的。形状上的诱导变化朝着倾向于提高游泳速度的方向发展；因此，诱导产生的形态可能有助于蝌蚪躲避捕食者。响应捕食者而改变形态也可能会影响群落中与其他物种的相互作用。
