Monday 7 August 2017

How fear alone can cause animal extinction

Even the smell of a predator can have disastrous effects in populations of small size

Date:  July 25, 2017
Source:  McGill University

Summary:  Fear alone may contribute to the extinction of animal populations according to a recent study. When scientists exposed fruit flies to the scent of a praying mantis, a known predator, they found that the risk of extinction increased up to seven fold. The increased risk of extinction occurred because at small population sizes, as the flies spent more time being vigilant and less time eating, populations that declined could not quickly rebound.


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