Predation on Recent Terebrid Gastropods from the Indian Subcontinent and a Spatiotemporal Reappraisal Based on a Revised Global Database
TL;DR: Body size appears to have evolved as anti-predatory traits in Recent terebrids in terebrid gastropods, and temporally, DF showed fluctuating pattern, with modern values showing declining trend.
Abstract: Predator-prey interaction, especially drilling and shell-breaking predation pressure, caused significant evolutionary changes within these predator-prey communities. Although temporal trends are well understood in prey assemblages, studies to trace such changes within taxonspecific clades up to Recent times have been rare. Here, we studied both the drilling and shell-breaking predation on Recent terebrid gastropods from the Indian subcontinent and compared the results with a newly updated, global database. The major part of our data came from a large collection reposited in the archive of the Zoological Survey of India in Kolkata for more than 100 years. Detailed analyses of this study based on a newly raised, global database revealed the following findings: (1) Drilling frequency (DF) of Indian terebrids was low, but consistent with the DF of only available but limited data provided by Vermeij et al. (1980). In comparison, peeling frequency (PF) in Indian terebrids appeared to be highest in the ...
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TL;DR: Detailed quantitative analyses of the present study revealed that N. tigrina attacks opportunistically on all infaunal and epifaunal intertidal bivalve and gastropod prey taxa, indicating that the predator was highly efficient.
Abstract: Chandipur intertidal flat in eastern coast of India is a killing field. The vast stretch of intertidal habitat opens up during the low tide, and is monopolized by a single naticid species which preys extensively on intertidal taxa. The predator, Natica tigrina, wades through the soft sediments and ambushes on epi- or infaunal prey. There were reports on naticid subaerial hunting, where the workers made vivid observations, but only in few instances quantified different aspects of predation. Detailed quantitative analyses of the present study revealed that N. tigrina attacks opportunistically on all infaunal and epifaunal intertidal bivalve and gastropod prey taxa. Drilling frequencies ranged from 9.70% to 67.67% with no apparent relation with relative abundances of the taxa. High drilling frequency on conspecific predation perhaps suggested elimination of the potential competitor as well as a profitable prey. Behavioral data of predation, i.e., stereotypy of site and size of drillholes on prey shells and low prey effectiveness indicated that the predator was highly efficient.
24 citations
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TL;DR: In this paper, data compiled from previously published sources, supplemented by unpublished museum collections, document different aspects of naticid confamilial predation in a temporal-latitudinal context.
Abstract: Gastropod drilling predation in the fossil record is prevalent and has been documented by many workers; however, vivid documentation of confamilial naticid predation is poor. Here, data compiled from previously published sources, supplemented by unpublished museum collections, document different aspects of naticid confamilial predation (NCP) in a temporal-latitudinal context. Confamilial drilling frequency (DF) showed a Cretaceous low, a small rise to a stable plateau in the Eocene, followed by a peak in the Oligocene, and finally a drop to a stable level from the Miocene to the Holocene. The stepwise rise in DF is comparable with the overall history of drilling predation. However, the temporal increase in DF was visible only in the mid-latitudes, while in other latitudes, no temporal trend was observed. The frequency of failed attack has always been very low. In comparison, a decrease in prey effectiveness (PE) was observed in the Neogene relative to the Cretaceous and Paleocene–Eocene intervals. In case of site selectivity, either apertural or abapertural sites were targeted until the Oligocene, and subsequently became more random. Some of these trends may be biased based on insufficient site selectivity data as well as uneven sampling from different latitudes representing different time intervals. More data on quantification of predation intensities along with the behavioral aspects of NCP are required to properly document other aspects of this interaction.
15 citations
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TL;DR: In this paper, the authors reported drilling predation on acorn barnacles by gastropods from Chandipur, eastern India, and found that the aspects of predation have been largely limited to molluscs.
Abstract: The study of drilling predation has been largely limited to molluscs. Herein, we report drilling predation on Recent acorn barnacles by gastropods from Chandipur, eastern India. The aspects of pred...
7 citations
Cites background from "Predation on Recent Terebrid Gastro..."
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TL;DR: In this article, the authors report that the drilling intensity shows wide spatial variation throughout the Miocene and find that gastropod drilling predation has been reported in shells of Cretaceous age onwards.
Abstract: Unambiguous gastropod drilling predation has been reported in shells of Cretaceous age onwards. Global data suggest that the drilling intensity shows wide spatial variation throughout the Miocene. ...
6 citations
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TL;DR: Palaeoecological studies of drilling intensity, drawing ecological and evolutionary inferences, generally assume that drilled and undrilled specimens are equally preserved in the fossil record as discussed by the authors.
Abstract: Palaeoecological studies of drilling intensity (DI), drawing ecological and evolutionary inferences, generally assume that drilled and undrilled specimens are equally preserved in the fossil record...
5 citations
References
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TL;DR: Application of the model to several Miocene and Pliocene assemblages studied by Thomas (1976) corroborates the feasibility and utility of this approach in examining the evolutionary record of naticid predation, which extends from the Late Mesozoic.
Abstract: Because predation by drilling gastropods is uniquely preservable in the fossil record, it represents important evidence for the study of coevolution. Previous studies of drilling gastropod predation have been largely descriptive and sometimes contradictory. We formulate and test a model of prey selection by naticid drilling gastropods. The model adequately predicts both prey species selection and prey size selection. Prey preferences parallel prey profitabilities, determined by calculating prey species-specific and predator size-specific cost-benefit functions. The model also specifically suggests the evolution of potential refugia from predation and the evolution of potential predatory attributes. Application of the model to several Miocene and Pliocene assemblages studied by Thomas (1976) corroborates the feasibility and utility of this approach in examining the evolutionary record of naticid predation, which extends from the Late Mesozoic. Apparent evolutionary stasis and convergent morphological trends among prey species may be consistent with continuous selection pressures against predation.
279 citations
"Predation on Recent Terebrid Gastro..." refers background in this paper
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11 Jan 1981
TL;DR: The nombre de la pista fosil (ichnotaxon) is basado en la morfologia de la estructura, mientras el taxon biologico represents the posicion filogenetica que se interpreta del organismo causante as discussed by the authors.
Abstract: La clasificacion de las pistas fosiles requiere un doble sistema de nomenclatura. El nombre de la pista fosil (ichnotaxon) esta basado en la morfologia de la estructura, mientras que el taxon biologico representa la posicion filogenetica que se interpreta del organismo causante. Los dos sistemas de nomenclatura no se pueden intercambiar, y ambos son necesarios para la completa clasificacion de la pista. A muchas de estas pistas no les ha sido aun atribuido unichnotaxon descriptivo, pero ya que las pistas fosiles re quieren nombres si han de ser tratadas sistematicamente, se ofrece comunmente en tales casos un biotaxon interpretativo en lugar del ichnotaxon que no se ha descritotodavia Este procedimiento tiende a desviar la atencion de la verdadera naturaleza de la pista fosil e implica una falsa exactitud en la determinacion filogenetica, lo cual conduce a conclusiones paleobiologicas poco seguras. Estos puntos quedan bien ilustrados por el ejemplo de unas perforaciones pequeiias y redondas sobre conchas. Son pistas fosiles abundantes y, no teniendo ichnotaxon, tienden a ser relacionadas con la accion perforante de los gasteropedos-naticidos y muricidos-sobre conchas. Sin embargo, varios grupos mas de gasteropodos producen perforaciones redondas, al igual que los cefalopodos octopodos, turbelarios, nematodos y braquiopodos articulados, pero su accion es poco conocida. Antes de embarcarse en tales especulaciones, como son los organismos causantes, es necesario un ichnotaxon para atraer la atencion hacia estas pistas fosiles y aumentarel rigorde su tratamiento. Solo cuando su morfologia y distribucion sean mejor conocidas estaremos en una posicion mejor para discutir sus atribuciones filogeneticas.
272 citations
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01 Nov 2002
TL;DR: A survey of sampling protocols (data collecting strategy, sieve size, and sample size) and analytical approaches (predation intensity metrics, strategies for evaluating behavioral selectivity of predators, and taphonomic tests) reveals that various approaches can be fruitful depending on logistic circumstances and scientific goals of paleoecological projects as mentioned in this paper.
Abstract: Paleontological research on predation has been expanding rapidly in scope, methods, and goals. The growing assortment of research strategies and goals has led to increasing differences in sampling strategies, types of data collected, definition of variables, and even reporting style. This methodological overview serves as a starting point for erecting some general methodological guidelines for studying the fossil record of predation. I focus here on trace fossils left by predators in the skeleton of their prey, arguably one of the most powerful sources of direct data on predator-prey interactions available in the fossil record. A critical survey of sampling protocols (data collecting strategy, sieve size, and sample size) and analytical approaches (predation intensity metrics, strategies for evaluating behavioral selectivity of predators, and taphonomic tests) reveals that various approaches can be fruitful depending on logistic circumstances and scientific goals of paleoecological projects. Despite numerous caveats and uncertainties, trace fossils left by predators on skeletons of their prey remain one of the most promising directions of research in paleoecology and evolutionary paleobiology.
257 citations
"Predation on Recent Terebrid Gastro..." refers background in this paper
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01 Jan 1968
TL;DR: Recently, gastropod borers and boreholes have been studied in a wide range of areas, including the Middle Ordovician Borers and Boreholes of the Lexington Limestone as mentioned in this paper.
Abstract: __________________________________________ Bl Introduction_______________________________________ 1 Acknowledgments_______________________________ 1 Terminology___________________________________ 2 Recent gastropod borers and boreholes_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 3 Previa us literature_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 3 Methods of study_______________________________ 5 Recent boreholes__ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 5 Other Recent boring organisms_______________________ 8 Ordovician cylindrical borings________________________ 8 Previous literature on Paleozoic borings____________ 8 Methods of study_______________________________ 9 Middle Ordovician borings_______________________ 9 lCentucky_ -------------------------------9 Ordovician cylindrical borings-Continued Middle Ordovician borings-Continued Quebec and Ontario ________________________ _ Other areas _______________________________ _ Late Ordovician borings from Ohio and Indiana ___ _ Mollusks of the Lexington Limestone _________________ _ Paleoecology and paleoethology ______________________ _ Paleoanatomy and systematic position of presumed predators _______________________________________ _ Summary _________________________________________ _ Conclu~ons _______________________________________ _ Register of lCentucky lc;>calities ______________________ _ References ________________________________________ _ Index ____________________________________________ _
206 citations
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