Diet, Morphology, and Interspecific Killing in Carnivora

Emiliano Donadio; Steven W. Buskirk

doi:10.1086/501033

Interspecific Killing among Mammalian Carnivores

The American Naturalist ◽

10.1086/303189 ◽

1999 ◽

Vol 153 (5) ◽

pp. 492-508 ◽

Cited By ~ 536

Author(s):

F. Palomares ◽

T. M. Caro

Keyword(s):

Interspecific Killing

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Aggressive Behavior and Interspecific Killing by Flying Steamer-Ducks in Argentina

The Condor ◽

10.2307/1367137 ◽

1985 ◽

Vol 87 (1) ◽

pp. 87-91 ◽

Cited By ~ 9

Author(s):

Gary L. Nuechterlein ◽

Robert W. Storer

Keyword(s):

Aggressive Behavior ◽

Interspecific Killing

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Prairie dogs increase fitness by killing interspecific competitors

Proceedings of The Royal Society B Biological Sciences ◽

10.1098/rspb.2016.0144 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 283 (1827) ◽

pp. 20160144 ◽

Cited By ~ 10

Author(s):

John L. Hoogland ◽

Charles R. Brown

Keyword(s):

Interspecific Competition ◽

Ground Squirrels ◽

Prairie Dogs ◽

Serial Killers ◽

Prairie Dog ◽

Natural Conditions ◽

First Case ◽

Cynomys Leucurus ◽

In The Wild ◽

Interspecific Killing

Interspecific competition commonly selects for divergence in ecology, morphology or physiology, but direct observation of interspecific competition under natural conditions is difficult. Herbivorous white-tailed prairie dogs ( Cynomys leucurus ) employ an unusual strategy to reduce interspecific competition: they kill, but do not consume, herbivorous Wyoming ground squirrels ( Urocitellus elegans ) encountered in the prairie dog territories. Results from a 6-year study in Colorado, USA, revealed that interspecific killing of ground squirrels by prairie dogs was common, involving 47 different killers; 19 prairie dogs were serial killers in the same or consecutive years, and 30% of female prairie dogs killed at least one ground squirrel over their lifetimes. Females that killed ground squirrels had significantly higher annual and lifetime fitness than non-killers, probably because of decreased interspecific competition for vegetation. Our results document the first case of interspecific killing of competing individuals unrelated to predation (IK) among herbivorous mammals in the wild, and show that IK enhances fitness for animals living under natural conditions.

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Spatial segregation and interspecific killing of common dolphins (Delphinus delphis) by bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus)

acta ethologica ◽

10.1007/s10211-021-00363-0 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Séverine Methion ◽

Bruno Díaz López

Keyword(s):

Tursiops Truncatus ◽

Bottlenose Dolphins ◽

Spatial Segregation ◽

Delphinus Delphis ◽

Common Dolphins ◽

Interspecific Killing

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Intraguild Predation and Interspecific Killing as Structuring Forces of Carnivoran Communities in South America

Journal of Mammalian Evolution ◽

10.1007/s10914-013-9251-4 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 21 (4) ◽

pp. 427-436 ◽

Cited By ~ 42

Author(s):

Tadeu G. de Oliveira ◽

Javier A. Pereira

Keyword(s):

South America ◽

Intraguild Predation ◽

Interspecific Killing

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Lethal coalitionary attacks of chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes troglodytes) on gorillas (Gorilla gorilla gorilla) in the wild

Scientific Reports ◽

10.1038/s41598-021-93829-x ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Lara M. Southern ◽

Tobias Deschner ◽

Simone Pika

Keyword(s):

Pan Troglodytes ◽

Gorilla Gorilla ◽

Interspecies Interactions ◽

Intraspecific Interactions ◽

Gorilla Gorilla Gorilla ◽

Research Attention ◽

Lethal Violence ◽

Pan Troglodytes Troglodytes ◽

In The Wild ◽

Interspecific Killing

AbstractIntraspecies violence, including lethal interactions, is a relatively common phenomenon in mammals. Contrarily, interspecies violence has mainly been investigated in the context of predation and received most research attention in carnivores. Here, we provide the first information of two lethal coalitionary attacks of chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes troglodytes) on another hominid species, western lowland gorillas (Gorilla gorilla gorilla), that occur sympatrically in the Loango National Park in Gabon. In both events, the chimpanzees significantly outnumbered the gorillas and victims were infant gorillas. We discuss these observations in light of the two most widely accepted theoretical explanations for interspecific lethal violence, predation and competition, and combinations of the two-intraguild predation and interspecific killing. Given these events meet conditions proposed to trigger coalitional killing of neighbours in chimpanzees, we also discuss them in light of chimpanzees’ intraspecific interactions and territorial nature. Our findings may spur further research into the complexity of interspecies interactions. In addition, they may aid in combining field data from extant models with the Pliocene hominid fossil record to better understand behavioural adaptations and interspecific killing in the hominin lineage.

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