19.4 - Predation

• predation

  when an organism (predator) kills and eats another organism (prey)
• predator

  hunts and kills other organisms (prey)
• prey

  hunted and killed by predators
• features of predators

  forward facing eyes

  sharp teeth and claws

  ability to track

  fast

  camouflage
• features of prey

  eyes on the side of the head

  bigger ears

  camouflage
• selection pressure

  disease, climatic factors, etc. cause population crashes important in evolution
• how do selection pressures affect a community?

  individuals that escape predators and withstand selection pressures are more likely to survive and reproduce so population evolves and becomes better adapted to the environment
• effect of predator-prey relationships

  predators eat their prey so reduce population of prey

  fewer prey available means there's more competition between predators for prey

  predator population decreases and some can't hunt enough prey to survive so their population decreases

  fewer predators means fewer prey are eaten so more survive and reproduce so prey population increases

  more prey available so predator population increases and cycle starts again
• what's the relationship between the Canadian lynx and the snowshoe hare?

  Canadian lynx is the only predator of the snowshoe hare and the snowshoe hare is the only prey of the Canadian lynx