Social transmission in the wild can reduce predation pressure on novel prey signals

Liisa Hämäläinen; William Hoppitt; Hannah M. Rowland; Johanna Mappes; Anthony J. Fulford; Sebastian Sosa; Rose Thorogood

doi:10.1038/s41467-021-24154-0

Social transmission in the wild can reduce predation pressure on novel prey signals

Liisa Hämäläinen^*, William Hoppitt, Hannah M. Rowland, Johanna Mappes, Anthony J. Fulford, Sebastian Sosa, Rose Thorogood

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

14 Citations (Scopus)

24 Downloads (Pure)

Abstract

Social transmission of information is taxonomically widespread and could have profound effects on the ecological and evolutionary dynamics of animal communities. Demonstrating this in the wild, however, has been challenging. Here we show by field experiment that social transmission among predators can shape how selection acts on prey defences. Using artificial prey and a novel approach in statistical analyses of social networks, we find that blue tit (Cyanistes caeruleus) and great tit (Parus major) predators learn about prey defences by watching others. This shifts population preferences rapidly to match changes in prey profitability, and reduces predation pressure from naïve predators. Our results may help resolve how costly prey defences are maintained despite influxes of naïve juvenile predators, and suggest that accounting for social transmission is essential if we are to understand coevolutionary processes.

Original language	English
Article number	3978
Pages (from-to)	1-11
Number of pages	11
Journal	Nature Communications
Volume	12
Issue number	1
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-021-24154-0
Publication status	Published - 25 Jun 2021

Bibliographical note

Copyright the Author(s) 2021. Version archived for private and non-commercial use with the permission of the author/s and according to publisher conditions. For further rights please contact the publisher.

Access to Document

10.1038/s41467-021-24154-0

Publisher version (open access)Final published version, 2.51 MBLicence: CC BY

Cite this

@article{8ae5e14e96e0437cbefc09621bcac8a0,

title = "Social transmission in the wild can reduce predation pressure on novel prey signals",

abstract = "Social transmission of information is taxonomically widespread and could have profound effects on the ecological and evolutionary dynamics of animal communities. Demonstrating this in the wild, however, has been challenging. Here we show by field experiment that social transmission among predators can shape how selection acts on prey defences. Using artificial prey and a novel approach in statistical analyses of social networks, we find that blue tit (Cyanistes caeruleus) and great tit (Parus major) predators learn about prey defences by watching others. This shifts population preferences rapidly to match changes in prey profitability, and reduces predation pressure from na{\"i}ve predators. Our results may help resolve how costly prey defences are maintained despite influxes of na{\"i}ve juvenile predators, and suggest that accounting for social transmission is essential if we are to understand coevolutionary processes.",

author = "Liisa H{\"a}m{\"a}l{\"a}inen and William Hoppitt and Rowland, {Hannah M.} and Johanna Mappes and Fulford, {Anthony J.} and Sebastian Sosa and Rose Thorogood",

note = "Copyright the Author(s) 2021. Version archived for private and non-commercial use with the permission of the author/s and according to publisher conditions. For further rights please contact the publisher. ",

year = "2021",

month = jun,

day = "25",

doi = "10.1038/s41467-021-24154-0",

language = "English",

volume = "12",

pages = "1--11",

journal = "Nature Communications",

issn = "2041-1723",

publisher = "Springer, Springer Nature",

number = "1",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - Social transmission in the wild can reduce predation pressure on novel prey signals

AU - Hämäläinen, Liisa

AU - Hoppitt, William

AU - Rowland, Hannah M.

AU - Mappes, Johanna

AU - Fulford, Anthony J.

AU - Sosa, Sebastian

AU - Thorogood, Rose

N1 - Copyright the Author(s) 2021. Version archived for private and non-commercial use with the permission of the author/s and according to publisher conditions. For further rights please contact the publisher.

PY - 2021/6/25

Y1 - 2021/6/25

N2 - Social transmission of information is taxonomically widespread and could have profound effects on the ecological and evolutionary dynamics of animal communities. Demonstrating this in the wild, however, has been challenging. Here we show by field experiment that social transmission among predators can shape how selection acts on prey defences. Using artificial prey and a novel approach in statistical analyses of social networks, we find that blue tit (Cyanistes caeruleus) and great tit (Parus major) predators learn about prey defences by watching others. This shifts population preferences rapidly to match changes in prey profitability, and reduces predation pressure from naïve predators. Our results may help resolve how costly prey defences are maintained despite influxes of naïve juvenile predators, and suggest that accounting for social transmission is essential if we are to understand coevolutionary processes.

AB - Social transmission of information is taxonomically widespread and could have profound effects on the ecological and evolutionary dynamics of animal communities. Demonstrating this in the wild, however, has been challenging. Here we show by field experiment that social transmission among predators can shape how selection acts on prey defences. Using artificial prey and a novel approach in statistical analyses of social networks, we find that blue tit (Cyanistes caeruleus) and great tit (Parus major) predators learn about prey defences by watching others. This shifts population preferences rapidly to match changes in prey profitability, and reduces predation pressure from naïve predators. Our results may help resolve how costly prey defences are maintained despite influxes of naïve juvenile predators, and suggest that accounting for social transmission is essential if we are to understand coevolutionary processes.

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85109353559&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1038/s41467-021-24154-0

DO - 10.1038/s41467-021-24154-0

M3 - Article

C2 - 34172738

AN - SCOPUS:85109353559

SN - 2041-1723

VL - 12

SP - 1

EP - 11

JO - Nature Communications

JF - Nature Communications

IS - 1

M1 - 3978

ER -

Social transmission in the wild can reduce predation pressure on novel prey signals

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Access to Document

Other files and links

Fingerprint

Cite this