Scholarship 23/07738-7 - Meta-análise, Predação - BV FAPESP
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Are there benefits of camouflage for predators? Proposal for a meta-analysis study

Grant number: 23/07738-7
Support Opportunities:Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
Start date until: September 01, 2023
End date until: August 31, 2024
Field of knowledge:Biological Sciences - Ecology - Theoretical Ecology
Principal Investigator:Gustavo Quevedo Romero
Grantee:Marcela Julio dos Santos
Host Institution: Instituto de Biologia (IB). Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Campinas , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Camouflage is one of the most widely distributed anti-predatory strategies in nature. It is described in several taxa, from plants to animals, from current and extinct organisms. There are several camouflage strategies, each operating differently on the observer's sensory and cognitive systems. Many camouflage studies report an increase in prey detection and recognition time by predators, thus leading to a decrease in predation rates. However, it is still unclear how camouflage can generate benefits for predators. Through a meta-analysis, we aim to find out how different types of predators and camouflage strategies used by them can benefit them during foraging activities. We will seek to understand whether: (i) camouflaged predators have higher predation rates; (ii) different camouflage strategies result in different success rates in prey capture; (iii) different types of prey vary in their response to predator camouflage; as well as whether (iv) prey detection and evasion are directly related to predator size. We expect camouflage to increase prey capture success relative to non-camouflaged predatory animals, lower evasion rates, or longer prey detection times. We believe that different camouflage strategies will provide benefits to different degrees for predators, especially for highly specialized strategies such as masking. We expect that the increase in the size ratio between camouflaged prey and predators is related to greater capture effectiveness.

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