Food web consequences of an evolutionary arms race:Molluscs subject to crab predation on intertidal mudflats in Oman are unavailable to shorebirds
Aim: Molluscivorous shorebirds supposedly developed their present wintering distribution after the last ice age. Currently, molluscivorous shorebirds are abundant on almost all shores of the world, except for those in the Indo-West Pacific (IWP). Long before shorebirds arrived on the scene, mollusca...
Published in: | Journal of Biogeography |
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Format: | Article in Journal/Newspaper |
Language: | English |
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2018
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Online Access: | https://hdl.handle.net/11370/bfe1ed1a-f47c-4508-a958-13ad37a5f54c https://research.rug.nl/en/publications/bfe1ed1a-f47c-4508-a958-13ad37a5f54c https://doi.org/10.1111/jbi.13123 https://pure.rug.nl/ws/files/56998646/Bom_et_al_2018_Journal_of_Biogeography.pdf http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85033718414&partnerID=8YFLogxK |
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ftunigroningenpu:oai:pure.rug.nl:publications/bfe1ed1a-f47c-4508-a958-13ad37a5f54c 2024-06-02T08:04:49+00:00 Food web consequences of an evolutionary arms race:Molluscs subject to crab predation on intertidal mudflats in Oman are unavailable to shorebirds Bom, Roeland A. de Fouw, Jimmy Klaassen, Raymond H.G. Piersma, Theunis Lavaleye, Marc S.S. Ens, Bruno J. Oudman, Thomas van Gils, Jan A. 2018-02 application/pdf https://hdl.handle.net/11370/bfe1ed1a-f47c-4508-a958-13ad37a5f54c https://research.rug.nl/en/publications/bfe1ed1a-f47c-4508-a958-13ad37a5f54c https://doi.org/10.1111/jbi.13123 https://pure.rug.nl/ws/files/56998646/Bom_et_al_2018_Journal_of_Biogeography.pdf http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85033718414&partnerID=8YFLogxK eng eng https://research.rug.nl/en/publications/bfe1ed1a-f47c-4508-a958-13ad37a5f54c info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess Bom , R A , de Fouw , J , Klaassen , R H G , Piersma , T , Lavaleye , M S S , Ens , B J , Oudman , T & van Gils , J A 2018 , ' Food web consequences of an evolutionary arms race : Molluscs subject to crab predation on intertidal mudflats in Oman are unavailable to shorebirds ' , Journal of Biogeography , vol. 45 , no. 2 , pp. 342-354 . https://doi.org/10.1111/jbi.13123 Anti-predation traits Breaking force Burrowing depth Crabs Evolutionary arms race Indo-West Pacific Intertidal mudflats Molluscs Oman Shorebirds MIGRATION PREY NORTH-WESTERN AUSTRALIA KNOT CALIDRIS-CANUTUS RED KNOTS PHYLOGENETIC-RELATIONSHIPS DIVERGENCE TIMES MACOMA-BALTHICA WADDEN SEA GASTROPOD article 2018 ftunigroningenpu https://doi.org/10.1111/jbi.13123 2024-05-07T20:15:45Z Aim: Molluscivorous shorebirds supposedly developed their present wintering distribution after the last ice age. Currently, molluscivorous shorebirds are abundant on almost all shores of the world, except for those in the Indo-West Pacific (IWP). Long before shorebirds arrived on the scene, molluscan prey in the IWP evolved strong anti-predation traits in a prolonged evolutionary arms race with durophagous predators including brachyuran crabs. Here, we investigate whether the absence of molluscivorous shorebirds from a site in Oman can be explained by the molluscan community being too well-defended. Location: The intertidal mudflats of Barr Al Hikman, Oman. Methods: Based on samples from 282 locations across the intertidal area the standing stock of the macrozoobenthic community was investigated. By measuring anti-predation traits (burrowing depth, size and strength of armour), the fraction of molluscs available to molluscivorous shorebirds was calculated. Results: Molluscs dominated the macrozoobenthic community at Barr Al Hikman. However, less than 17% of the total molluscan biomass was available to shorebirds. Most molluscs were unavailable either because of their hard-to-crush shells, or because they lived too deeply in the sediment. Repair scars and direct observations confirmed crab predation on molluscs. Although standing stock densities of the Barr Al Hikman molluscs were of the same order of magnitude as at intertidal mudflat areas where molluscivorous shorebirds are abundant, the molluscan biomass available to shorebirds was distinctly lower at Barr Al Hikman. Main conclusions: The established strong molluscan anti-predation traits against crabs precludes molluscan exploitation by shorebirds at Barr Al Hikman. This study exemplifies that dispersal of "novel" predators is hampered in areas where native predators and prey exhibit strongly developed attack and defence mechanisms, and highlights that evolutionary arms races can have consequences for the global distribution of species. Article in Journal/Newspaper Calidris canutus University of Groningen research database Pacific Journal of Biogeography 45 2 342 354 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
University of Groningen research database |
op_collection_id |
ftunigroningenpu |
language |
English |
topic |
Anti-predation traits Breaking force Burrowing depth Crabs Evolutionary arms race Indo-West Pacific Intertidal mudflats Molluscs Oman Shorebirds MIGRATION PREY NORTH-WESTERN AUSTRALIA KNOT CALIDRIS-CANUTUS RED KNOTS PHYLOGENETIC-RELATIONSHIPS DIVERGENCE TIMES MACOMA-BALTHICA WADDEN SEA GASTROPOD |
spellingShingle |
Anti-predation traits Breaking force Burrowing depth Crabs Evolutionary arms race Indo-West Pacific Intertidal mudflats Molluscs Oman Shorebirds MIGRATION PREY NORTH-WESTERN AUSTRALIA KNOT CALIDRIS-CANUTUS RED KNOTS PHYLOGENETIC-RELATIONSHIPS DIVERGENCE TIMES MACOMA-BALTHICA WADDEN SEA GASTROPOD Bom, Roeland A. de Fouw, Jimmy Klaassen, Raymond H.G. Piersma, Theunis Lavaleye, Marc S.S. Ens, Bruno J. Oudman, Thomas van Gils, Jan A. Food web consequences of an evolutionary arms race:Molluscs subject to crab predation on intertidal mudflats in Oman are unavailable to shorebirds |
topic_facet |
Anti-predation traits Breaking force Burrowing depth Crabs Evolutionary arms race Indo-West Pacific Intertidal mudflats Molluscs Oman Shorebirds MIGRATION PREY NORTH-WESTERN AUSTRALIA KNOT CALIDRIS-CANUTUS RED KNOTS PHYLOGENETIC-RELATIONSHIPS DIVERGENCE TIMES MACOMA-BALTHICA WADDEN SEA GASTROPOD |
description |
Aim: Molluscivorous shorebirds supposedly developed their present wintering distribution after the last ice age. Currently, molluscivorous shorebirds are abundant on almost all shores of the world, except for those in the Indo-West Pacific (IWP). Long before shorebirds arrived on the scene, molluscan prey in the IWP evolved strong anti-predation traits in a prolonged evolutionary arms race with durophagous predators including brachyuran crabs. Here, we investigate whether the absence of molluscivorous shorebirds from a site in Oman can be explained by the molluscan community being too well-defended. Location: The intertidal mudflats of Barr Al Hikman, Oman. Methods: Based on samples from 282 locations across the intertidal area the standing stock of the macrozoobenthic community was investigated. By measuring anti-predation traits (burrowing depth, size and strength of armour), the fraction of molluscs available to molluscivorous shorebirds was calculated. Results: Molluscs dominated the macrozoobenthic community at Barr Al Hikman. However, less than 17% of the total molluscan biomass was available to shorebirds. Most molluscs were unavailable either because of their hard-to-crush shells, or because they lived too deeply in the sediment. Repair scars and direct observations confirmed crab predation on molluscs. Although standing stock densities of the Barr Al Hikman molluscs were of the same order of magnitude as at intertidal mudflat areas where molluscivorous shorebirds are abundant, the molluscan biomass available to shorebirds was distinctly lower at Barr Al Hikman. Main conclusions: The established strong molluscan anti-predation traits against crabs precludes molluscan exploitation by shorebirds at Barr Al Hikman. This study exemplifies that dispersal of "novel" predators is hampered in areas where native predators and prey exhibit strongly developed attack and defence mechanisms, and highlights that evolutionary arms races can have consequences for the global distribution of species. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Bom, Roeland A. de Fouw, Jimmy Klaassen, Raymond H.G. Piersma, Theunis Lavaleye, Marc S.S. Ens, Bruno J. Oudman, Thomas van Gils, Jan A. |
author_facet |
Bom, Roeland A. de Fouw, Jimmy Klaassen, Raymond H.G. Piersma, Theunis Lavaleye, Marc S.S. Ens, Bruno J. Oudman, Thomas van Gils, Jan A. |
author_sort |
Bom, Roeland A. |
title |
Food web consequences of an evolutionary arms race:Molluscs subject to crab predation on intertidal mudflats in Oman are unavailable to shorebirds |
title_short |
Food web consequences of an evolutionary arms race:Molluscs subject to crab predation on intertidal mudflats in Oman are unavailable to shorebirds |
title_full |
Food web consequences of an evolutionary arms race:Molluscs subject to crab predation on intertidal mudflats in Oman are unavailable to shorebirds |
title_fullStr |
Food web consequences of an evolutionary arms race:Molluscs subject to crab predation on intertidal mudflats in Oman are unavailable to shorebirds |
title_full_unstemmed |
Food web consequences of an evolutionary arms race:Molluscs subject to crab predation on intertidal mudflats in Oman are unavailable to shorebirds |
title_sort |
food web consequences of an evolutionary arms race:molluscs subject to crab predation on intertidal mudflats in oman are unavailable to shorebirds |
publishDate |
2018 |
url |
https://hdl.handle.net/11370/bfe1ed1a-f47c-4508-a958-13ad37a5f54c https://research.rug.nl/en/publications/bfe1ed1a-f47c-4508-a958-13ad37a5f54c https://doi.org/10.1111/jbi.13123 https://pure.rug.nl/ws/files/56998646/Bom_et_al_2018_Journal_of_Biogeography.pdf http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85033718414&partnerID=8YFLogxK |
geographic |
Pacific |
geographic_facet |
Pacific |
genre |
Calidris canutus |
genre_facet |
Calidris canutus |
op_source |
Bom , R A , de Fouw , J , Klaassen , R H G , Piersma , T , Lavaleye , M S S , Ens , B J , Oudman , T & van Gils , J A 2018 , ' Food web consequences of an evolutionary arms race : Molluscs subject to crab predation on intertidal mudflats in Oman are unavailable to shorebirds ' , Journal of Biogeography , vol. 45 , no. 2 , pp. 342-354 . https://doi.org/10.1111/jbi.13123 |
op_relation |
https://research.rug.nl/en/publications/bfe1ed1a-f47c-4508-a958-13ad37a5f54c |
op_rights |
info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1111/jbi.13123 |
container_title |
Journal of Biogeography |
container_volume |
45 |
container_issue |
2 |
container_start_page |
342 |
op_container_end_page |
354 |
_version_ |
1800749471200444416 |