defensive)ĭigest: (noun: digestion) To break down food into simple compounds that the body can absorb and use for growth. Thanks to its predator/prey relationship with ants, the Australian ant-slayer spider ( Euryopis umbilicata) evolved a cool somersault technique for capturing prey.Ĭheck out the full list of Scientists Say.ĭefense: (in biology) A natural protective action taken or chemical response that occurs when a species confronts predators or agents that might harm it. And millions of years ago, the need to escape marine predators likely helped drive some species from water to land. Many plants have toxins, spines or other defenses that make eating them unpleasant. The nimble impala can make a hard swerve that leaves behind the cheetah. But prey have evolved ways to avoid being eaten. For example, the cheetah’s powerful body can out-race its impala prey. Over time, predators adapt to better catch prey. Predators and prey drive each other’s evolution. For example, a Venus flytrap ( Dionaea muscipula) snares flies in its leafy jaws and digests them. But plants can also play the role of the predator. A rabbit chomping on grass is a predator, while the grass is its prey. So in those cases, the salmon plays the role of predator.Īnimals aren’t the only predators and prey. They snack on plankton, insects and other small critters. These links move energy and nutrients through an ecosystem.Ī bear fishing salmon from a river is one example of a predator/prey relationship. Predator/prey relationships are important links in food webs. The predator is the species that does the eating. In this relationship, one species eats the other. The words “predator” and “prey” describe the roles in a relationship between two species. Predator and Prey, (nouns, “PREH-duh-tor” and “PRAY”)
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