Insular tammar wallabies (Macropus eugenii) respond to visual but not acoustic cues from predators

We studied the way in which a population of tammar wallabies (Macropus eugenii), which have been isolated from mammalian predators since the last ice age, responded to the sight and sound of historical and ontogenetically and evolutionarily novel predators. Tammars were shown a range of visual stimu...

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Main Authors: Blumstein, Daniel T., Daniel, Janice C., Griffin, Andrea S., Evans, Christopher S.
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: 2000
Subjects:
Online Access:https://researchers.mq.edu.au/en/publications/7d0d9a31-80ff-4860-b5d0-c15a03636440
http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0033814735&partnerID=8YFLogxK
id ftmacquarieunicr:oai:https://researchers.mq.edu.au:publications/7d0d9a31-80ff-4860-b5d0-c15a03636440
record_format openpolar
spelling ftmacquarieunicr:oai:https://researchers.mq.edu.au:publications/7d0d9a31-80ff-4860-b5d0-c15a03636440 2024-10-06T13:47:53+00:00 Insular tammar wallabies (Macropus eugenii) respond to visual but not acoustic cues from predators Blumstein, Daniel T. Daniel, Janice C. Griffin, Andrea S. Evans, Christopher S. 2000 https://researchers.mq.edu.au/en/publications/7d0d9a31-80ff-4860-b5d0-c15a03636440 http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0033814735&partnerID=8YFLogxK eng eng info:eu-repo/semantics/restrictedAccess Blumstein , D T , Daniel , J C , Griffin , A S & Evans , C S 2000 , ' Insular tammar wallabies (Macropus eugenii) respond to visual but not acoustic cues from predators ' , Behavioral Ecology , vol. 11 , no. 5 , pp. 528-535 . Antipredator behavior Macropus eugenii Predator recognition Relaxed selection Tammar wallaby article 2000 ftmacquarieunicr 2024-09-11T23:44:59Z We studied the way in which a population of tammar wallabies (Macropus eugenii), which have been isolated from mammalian predators since the last ice age, responded to the sight and sound of historical and ontogenetically and evolutionarily novel predators. Tammars were shown a range of visual stimuli, including taxidermic mounts of two evolutionarily novel predators, a red fox (Vulpes vulpes) and a cat (Felis catus), and a model of an extinct predator, the thylacine (Thylacinus cynocephalus). Controls were a conspecific, the cart on which all mounts were presented, and blank trials in which spontaneous change in behavior was measured. We played back recorded sounds to characterize responses to acoustic cues from predators and to a putative conspecific antipredator signal. Treatments included the howls of dingoes (Canis lupus dingo), an evolutionarily novel predator; calls of a wedge-tailed eagle (Aquila audax), a historical and current predator; and wallaby foot thumps. Controls were the song of an Australian magpie (Gymnorhina tibicen) and a blank trial. After seeing a fox, wallabies thumped their hind feet in alarm, suppressed foraging, and increased looking. The sight of a cat similarly suppressed foraging and increased looking. The sounds of predators did not influence responsiveness, but wallabies foraged less and looked more after thump playbacks. Our results suggest that tammars respond to the sight, but not the sounds, of predators. In contrast, the response to foot thumps demonstrates that this particular sound functions as an antipredator signal. We suggest that responsiveness to visual cues has been preserved under relaxed selection because predator morphology is convergent, but vocalizations are not. Article in Journal/Newspaper Canis lupus Macquarie University Research Portal
institution Open Polar
collection Macquarie University Research Portal
op_collection_id ftmacquarieunicr
language English
topic Antipredator behavior
Macropus eugenii
Predator recognition
Relaxed selection
Tammar wallaby
spellingShingle Antipredator behavior
Macropus eugenii
Predator recognition
Relaxed selection
Tammar wallaby
Blumstein, Daniel T.
Daniel, Janice C.
Griffin, Andrea S.
Evans, Christopher S.
Insular tammar wallabies (Macropus eugenii) respond to visual but not acoustic cues from predators
topic_facet Antipredator behavior
Macropus eugenii
Predator recognition
Relaxed selection
Tammar wallaby
description We studied the way in which a population of tammar wallabies (Macropus eugenii), which have been isolated from mammalian predators since the last ice age, responded to the sight and sound of historical and ontogenetically and evolutionarily novel predators. Tammars were shown a range of visual stimuli, including taxidermic mounts of two evolutionarily novel predators, a red fox (Vulpes vulpes) and a cat (Felis catus), and a model of an extinct predator, the thylacine (Thylacinus cynocephalus). Controls were a conspecific, the cart on which all mounts were presented, and blank trials in which spontaneous change in behavior was measured. We played back recorded sounds to characterize responses to acoustic cues from predators and to a putative conspecific antipredator signal. Treatments included the howls of dingoes (Canis lupus dingo), an evolutionarily novel predator; calls of a wedge-tailed eagle (Aquila audax), a historical and current predator; and wallaby foot thumps. Controls were the song of an Australian magpie (Gymnorhina tibicen) and a blank trial. After seeing a fox, wallabies thumped their hind feet in alarm, suppressed foraging, and increased looking. The sight of a cat similarly suppressed foraging and increased looking. The sounds of predators did not influence responsiveness, but wallabies foraged less and looked more after thump playbacks. Our results suggest that tammars respond to the sight, but not the sounds, of predators. In contrast, the response to foot thumps demonstrates that this particular sound functions as an antipredator signal. We suggest that responsiveness to visual cues has been preserved under relaxed selection because predator morphology is convergent, but vocalizations are not.
format Article in Journal/Newspaper
author Blumstein, Daniel T.
Daniel, Janice C.
Griffin, Andrea S.
Evans, Christopher S.
author_facet Blumstein, Daniel T.
Daniel, Janice C.
Griffin, Andrea S.
Evans, Christopher S.
author_sort Blumstein, Daniel T.
title Insular tammar wallabies (Macropus eugenii) respond to visual but not acoustic cues from predators
title_short Insular tammar wallabies (Macropus eugenii) respond to visual but not acoustic cues from predators
title_full Insular tammar wallabies (Macropus eugenii) respond to visual but not acoustic cues from predators
title_fullStr Insular tammar wallabies (Macropus eugenii) respond to visual but not acoustic cues from predators
title_full_unstemmed Insular tammar wallabies (Macropus eugenii) respond to visual but not acoustic cues from predators
title_sort insular tammar wallabies (macropus eugenii) respond to visual but not acoustic cues from predators
publishDate 2000
url https://researchers.mq.edu.au/en/publications/7d0d9a31-80ff-4860-b5d0-c15a03636440
http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0033814735&partnerID=8YFLogxK
genre Canis lupus
genre_facet Canis lupus
op_source Blumstein , D T , Daniel , J C , Griffin , A S & Evans , C S 2000 , ' Insular tammar wallabies (Macropus eugenii) respond to visual but not acoustic cues from predators ' , Behavioral Ecology , vol. 11 , no. 5 , pp. 528-535 .
op_rights info:eu-repo/semantics/restrictedAccess
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