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Predator-Prey Lab Report

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Introduction Predation is a biological interaction between two organisms of different species in a community in which one acts as a predator and captures and feeds on the other, the prey. Predator-prey relationships keep animal populations in balance. When prey populations increase more food is available for predators, and they increase in number as well. An increase in predators triggers a decrease in prey populations. As prey populations decrease predator populations soon follow as their food supply diminishes. Organisms can evolve to enhance their ability to catch prey, or flee predators. Coevolution occurs in a predator-prey relationship when the prey evolves in response to pressures exerted by its predator. The predator then evolves in response to the changes in the prey (or vice versa). Inheritable adaptive traits evolve through natural selection, the process by which organisms that have developed favorable traits are capable of surviving and reproducing at greater rates, thus passing their adaptive traits to their offspring. Birds and caterpillars have a predator-prey …show more content…

At the conclusion of each of the three trials, the number of caterpillars that showed peck marks was tallied. The average of the three trials revealed that 0.67 out of 8 patterned caterpillars had been pecked and 2.67 out of 8 of the solid colored caterpillars showed signs of avian predation (Figure 1). The average rate of avian predation for the three trials was 8.3% for the patterned caterpillars and 33.3% for the solid colored caterpillars. The number of patterned caterpillars pecked was less than the number of solid colored caterpillars pecked for all three trials. It was observed that there were no adhesive issues, weather related damage, or interference from tree

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