Regular ArticlePathogen transmission as a selective force against cannibalism
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Trophic interactions at avian carcasses: Do scavengers feed on vulture carrion?
2022, Food WebsCitation Excerpt :Cannibalism, however, is taxonomically widespread (Fox, 1975; Polis, 1981), yet considered to occur infrequently even though it results in a balance of nutrients necessary for survival (Meffe and Crump, 1987; Crump, 1990). Although the underlying factors contributing to carrion avoidance have not been thoroughly explored, this behavior may reflect the parasite-avoidance hypothesis, which suggests species avoid cannibalizing and feeding on other species within their guild to reduce the risk of disease transmission (Polis, 1981; Pfennig et al., 1991; Pfennig et al., 1998). Further exploration of carrion avoidance patterns is warranted and should include investigating whether carcasses are avoided only by conspecifics and closely related species, or if avoidance is more broadly expressed in species outside of the carcass guild being studied.
Smart carnivores think twice: Red fox delays scavenging on conspecific carcasses to reduce parasite risk
2021, Applied Animal Behaviour ScienceCitation Excerpt :Why do foxes and other mesocarnivores not feed on carnivore carcasses, especially conspecific carrion, upon detection? Our results suggest that the foraging decisions of scavengers are probably shaped by two major contrasting forces (Fig. 3), namely the nutritional reward provided by carrion of phylogenetically similar species (Mayntz and Toft, 2006; Meffe and Crump, 1987) and the risk of acquiring meat-borne parasites shared with these species (Huang et al., 2014; Moleón et al., 2017; Pfennig, 2000; Pfennig et al., 1998; Rudolf and Antonovics, 2007). On one hand, the nutritional quality of carrion decreases with time (Parmenter and MacMahon, 2009).
Does sexual conflict increase juvenile survival by reducing cannibalism?
2018, Behavioural ProcessesCitation Excerpt :However, when a species lacks the ability to discriminate between kin and non-kin, cannibalism can be costly to the individual by reducing inclusive fitness (Dong and Polis, 1992; Hamilton, 1964). Additionally, individuals who consume conspecifics are more likely to contract pathogens than individuals consuming heterospecifics (Ambystoma tigrinum; Pfennig et al., 1998). At the population level, cannibalism can act as a mechanism by which population size and composition are either regulated or destabilized (Claessen et al., 2004; Rudolph, 2007).
A thelytokous predatory mite is more cannibalistic towards distant kin
2023, Current ZoologySocial context during ontogeny affects cannibalism and kin recognition of the predatory mite Amblyseius herbicolus at different life stages
2022, Experimental and Applied Acarology
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Correspondence: D. W. Pfennig, Department of Biology, Coker Hall, CB#3280, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-3280, U.S.A. (email:[email protected].
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S. G. Ho is at the Center for Biotechnology, Northwestern University, 1801 Maple Avenue, Evanston, IL 60201, U.S.A.
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E. A. Hoffman is at the Department of Zoology, Oregon State University, Cordley Hall, Corvallis, OR 97331-2914, U.S.A.