Experimental Evidence For Latent Developmental Plasticity: Intertidal Whelks Respond To A Native But Not An Introduced Predator

Main Category: Biology / Biochemistry
Article Date: 03 Jun 2008 - 23:00 PDT

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Best know your enemies. For an intertidal snail, knowing or not knowing the smell of a predator can mean the difference between life and death.

Here we show that the scent of a long-established predator causes snails to produce a thicker, more predator-resistant shell.

However, snails fail to recognize the scent of a recently introduced and particularly voracious predator, and develop thin, poorly-defended shells in their presence.

Results provide fertile grounds for studying the early evolution of threat recognition and response, and add a new dimension to understanding how natural communities may be susceptible to biological invaders.

Royal Society journal Biology Letters

Biology Letters publishes short, innovative and cutting-edge research articles and opinion pieces accessible to scientists from across the biological sciences. The journal is characterised by stringent peer-review, rapid publication and broad dissemination of succinct high-quality research communications.

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