Mass enhances speed but diminishes turn capacity in terrestrial pursuit predators

dc.contributor.authorWilson, Rory P.
dc.contributor.authorGriffiths, I.W.
dc.contributor.authorMills, Michael G.L. (Gus)
dc.contributor.authorCarbone, Chris
dc.contributor.authorWilson, John W.
dc.contributor.authorScantlebury, David M.
dc.date.accessioned2016-03-02T06:26:51Z
dc.date.available2016-03-02T06:26:51Z
dc.date.issued2015-08
dc.description.abstractThe dynamics of predator-prey pursuit appears complex, making the development of a framework explaining predator and prey strategies problematic. We develop a model for terrestrial, cursorial predators to examine how animal mass modulates predator and prey trajectories and affects best strategies for both parties. We incorporated the maximum speed-mass relationship with an explanation of why larger animals should have greater turn radii; the forces needed to turn scale linearly with mass whereas the maximum forces an animal can exert scale to a 2/3 power law. This clarifies why in a meta-analysis, we found a preponderance of predator/prey mass ratios that minimized the turn radii of predators compared to their prey. It also explained why acceleration data from wild cheetahs pursuing different prey showed different cornering behaviour with prey type. The outcome of predator prey pursuits thus depends critically on mass effects and the ability of animals to time turns precisely.en_ZA
dc.description.librarianhb2015en_ZA
dc.description.sponsorshipRoyal Society (2009/R3 JP090604) and NERC (NE/I002030/1). SANParks and the Department of Wildlife and National Parks, Botswana for allowing our research in the KgalagadiTransfrontier Park (Permit Number 2006-05-01 MGLM) and from The Lewis Foundation, South Africa, The Howard G Buffet Foundation, National Geographic, Kanabo Conservation Link, Comanis Foundation, Panthera and the Kruger Park Marathon Club.en_ZA
dc.description.urihttp://elifesciences.orgen_ZA
dc.identifier.citationWilson, RP, Griffiths, IW, Mills, MGL, Carbone, C, Wilson, JW & Scantlebury, DM 2015, 'Mass enhances speed but diminishes turn capacity in terrestrial pursuit predators', eLife, vol. 4, art. #e06487, pp.1-18.en_ZA
dc.identifier.issn2050-084X
dc.identifier.other10.7554/eLife.06487.001
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/2263/51643
dc.language.isoenen_ZA
dc.publishereLife Sciences Publicationsen_ZA
dc.rights© Wilson et al. eLife 2015. This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License.en_ZA
dc.subjectProblematicen_ZA
dc.subjectTerrestrial pursuit predatorsen_ZA
dc.subjectFrameworken_ZA
dc.subjectAppears complexen_ZA
dc.titleMass enhances speed but diminishes turn capacity in terrestrial pursuit predatorsen_ZA
dc.typeArticleen_ZA

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