Mass enhances speed but diminishes turn capacity in terrestrial pursuit predators

Wilson, Rory P.; Griffiths, Iwan W.; Mills, M. G. L.; Carbone, Chris; Wilson, John W.; Scantlebury, David

doi:10.7554/elife.06487

Cited by 52 publications

(52 citation statements)

References 69 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…The bio-logging-derived measure has value for multiple behavioural contexts. Examples include studies on navigation, where m-print metrics could highlight the circling movement sometimes seen in animals seeking to orientate themselves [43], or research into the acquisition of food or avoidance of predation where associated turns could be quantified [44]. Stemming from this and, given that there is a cost to turning that depends on the extent of the turn angle and the angular velocity [16, 45] we expect m-print angular velocity metrics to relate to movement energetics in the same way as have acceleration-derived metrics, such as VeDBA and ODBA [9, 46].…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Identification of animal movement patterns using tri-axial magnetometry

et al. 2017

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

BackgroundAccelerometers are powerful sensors in many bio-logging devices, and are increasingly allowing researchers to investigate the performance, behaviour, energy expenditure and even state, of free-living animals. Another sensor commonly used in animal-attached loggers is the magnetometer, which has been primarily used in dead-reckoning or inertial measurement tags, but little outside that. We examine the potential of magnetometers for helping elucidate the behaviour of animals in a manner analogous to, but very different from, accelerometers. The particular responses of magnetometers to movement means that there are instances when they can resolve behaviours that are not easily perceived using accelerometers.MethodsWe calibrated the tri-axial magnetometer to rotations in each axis of movement and constructed 3-dimensional plots to inspect these stylised movements. Using the tri-axial data of Daily Diary tags, attached to individuals of number of animal species as they perform different behaviours, we used these 3-d plots to develop a framework with which tri-axial magnetometry data can be examined and introduce metrics that should help quantify movement and behaviour.ResultsTri-axial magnetometry data reveal patterns in movement at various scales of rotation that are not always evident in acceleration data. Some of these patterns may be obscure until visualised in 3D space as tri-axial spherical plots (m-spheres). A tag-fitted animal that rotates in heading while adopting a constant body attitude produces a ring of data around the pole of the m-sphere that we define as its Normal Operational Plane (NOP). Data that do not lie on this ring are created by postural rotations of the animal as it pitches and/or rolls. Consequently, stereotyped behaviours appear as specific trajectories on the sphere (m-prints), reflecting conserved sequences of postural changes (and/or angular velocities), which result from the precise relationship between body attitude and heading. This novel approach shows promise for helping researchers to identify and quantify behaviours in terms of animal body posture, including heading.ConclusionMagnetometer-based techniques and metrics can enhance our capacity to identify and examine animal behaviour, either as a technique used alone, or one that is complementary to tri-axial accelerometry.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s40462-017-0097-x) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

show abstract

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Identification of animal movement patterns using tri-axial magnetometry

et al. 2017

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…We think that this mainly results from our use of generic, simplified allometric equations to describe important parameters in the model, such as prey population densities, maximum accelerations and detection distances. Recent advances in the field of allometry have shown that the effect of body size can be more complicated than previously acknowledged (Hirt, Jetz, Rall, & Brose, ; Pawar et al, ; Wilson et al, ), although it is still predictable (Kiørboe & Hirst, ). Our model's predictability would certainly benefit from an increase in the realism of the allometric equations it uses.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The mechanics of predator–prey interactions: First principles of physics predict predator–prey size ratios

et al. 2018

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Robust predictions of predator–prey interactions are fundamental for the understanding of food webs, their structure, dynamics, resistance to species loss, response to invasions and ecosystem function. Most current food web models measure parameters at the food web level to predict patterns at the same level. Thus, they are sensitive to the quality of the data and may be ineffective in predicting non‐observed interactions and disturbed food webs. There is a need for mechanistic models that predict the occurrence of a predator–prey interaction based on lower levels of organization (i.e. the traits of organisms) and the properties of their environment. Here, we present such a model that focuses on the predation act itself. We built a Newtonian, mechanical model for the processes of searching, capturing and handling of a prey item by a predator. Associated with general metabolic laws, we predict the net energy gain from predation for pairs of pelagic or flying predator species and their prey depending on their body sizes. Predicted interactions match well with data from the most extensive predator–prey database, and overall model accuracy is greater than the allometric niche model. Our model shows that it is possible to accurately predict the structure of food webs using only a few mechanical traits. It underlines the importance of physical constraints in structuring food webs. A http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/1365-2435.13254/suppinfo is available for this article.

show abstract

“…We think that this mainly results from our use of generic, simplified allometric equations to describe important parameters in the model, such as prey population densities, maximum accelerations, and detection distances. Recent advances in the field of allometry have shown that the effect of body size can be more complicated than previously acknowledged (Pawar, Dell, & Savage, 2012; Wilson et al, 2015; Hirt, Jetz, Rall, & Brose, 2017), although it is still predictable (Kiørboe & Hirst, 2014). Our model’s predictability would certainly benefit from an increase in the realism of the allometric equations it uses.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The mechanics of predator-prey interactions: first principles of physics predict predator-prey size ratios

Portalier

Fussmann

Loreau

et al. 2018

Preprint

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

1 1. Robust predictions of predator-prey interactions are fundamental for the understanding 2 of food webs, their structure, dynamics, resistance to species loss and invasions and role in 3 ecosystem functioning. Most current food web models are empirically based. Thus, they are 4 sensitive to the quality of the data, and ineffective in predicting non-described and disturbed 5 food webs. There is a need for mechanistic models that predict the occurrence of a predator-6 prey interaction based on the traits of organisms and the properties of their environment. 7 2. Here, we present such a model that focuses on the predation act itself. We built a Newto-8 nian, mechanical model for the processes of searching, capture and handling of a prey item 9 by a predator. Associated with general metabolic laws, we predict the net energy gain from 10 predation for pairs of predator and prey species depending on their body sizes. 11 3. Predicted interactions match well with data from the most extensive predator-prey database, 12 and overall model accuracy is greater than the niche model.13 4. Our model shows that it is possible to accurately predict the structure of food webs us-14 ing only a few ecomechanical traits. It underlines the importance of physical constraints in 15 structuring food webs.16

show abstract

Mass enhances speed but diminishes turn capacity in terrestrial pursuit predators

Cited by 52 publications

References 69 publications

Identification of animal movement patterns using tri-axial magnetometry

Identification of animal movement patterns using tri-axial magnetometry

The mechanics of predator–prey interactions: First principles of physics predict predator–prey size ratios

The mechanics of predator-prey interactions: first principles of physics predict predator-prey size ratios

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About