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Fear can shape populations and promote evolution. This is what happens with a species of rodent living in Western Europe and North Asia: the red vole (Myodes glareolus). A study, published in Scientific Reports, shows that when these rodents feel threatened by a predator, they produce more offspring.
Finnish and Dutch biologists have studied the chemical reactions of these small mammals in order to understand their behavior. The results reveal, for example, that females exposed to predation produce litters with offspring up to 50% higher than safe mothers.
"The most surprising thing about this study is that the cause of the change in digital reproduction was indirect," says Marko Haapakoski, postdoctoral researcher at Jyväskylä University in Finland. That is, the chemical signal of the predators – without the active presence of these – was sufficient to increase the offspring.
The smell is scary too
Predators can also scare prey that they hide without being eaten. "Our study shows that the resulting fear alters the behavior and reproduction of these animals of prey," says Kevin Matson of the University of Wageningen in the Netherlands, in statements quoted by the agency as saying. SINC disclosure.
The work shows that such a terrifying experience can be communicated to individuals of the same population, even when they have not seen, felt or heard the predator themselves. To reach these conclusions, the scientists conducted an experiment.
"In our study, a separate group of red-headed men issued chemical messages that could be detected and interpreted by the voles of our study," said Alwin Hardenbol, lead author of the research and scientist of the company. 39, Dutch university.
In the case of females, if they felt that their chances of being eaten were great, they would produce more cubs, as this might be their last litter. According to biologists, simple physiological mechanisms allow mothers to adjust the size of their litter.
"Until now, it had been suggested that highly fertile species such as voles react to high predation by offsetting reproduction," says ecologist Danielle Lee of Southern Illinois University (USA). ), who did not participate in this work. "This field study confirms that these responses are mediated by chemical chemistry signals," he concludes.
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