Scavenging in the realm of senses: smell and vision drive recruitment at carcasses in Neotropical ecosystems.
Proc Biol Sci
; 289(1986): 20220843, 2022 11 09.
Article
en En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-36321491
ABSTRACT
Social information, acquired through the observation of other individuals, is especially relevant among species belonging to the same guild. The unpredictable and ephemeral nature of carrion implies that social mechanisms may be selected among scavenger species to facilitate carcass location and consumption. Here, we apply a survival-modelling strategy to data obtained through the placement and monitoring of carcasses in the field to analyse possible information transmission cascades within a Neotropical scavenger community. Our study highlights how the use of different senses (smell and sight) within this guild facilitates carcass location through the transmission of social information between species with different carrion foraging efficiencies. Vultures with a highly developed sense of smell play a key role in this process, as they are the first to arrive at the carcasses and their presence seems to serve as a visual cue for other species to locate the resource. Our study supports the local enhancement hypothesis within scavengers, whereby individuals locate carcasses by following foraging heterospecifics, also suggesting the importance of the sense of smell in the maintenance of the community structure.
Palabras clave
Texto completo:
1
Colección:
01-internacional
Base de datos:
MEDLINE
Asunto principal:
Olfato
/
Falconiformes
Límite:
Animals
/
Humans
Idioma:
En
Revista:
Proc Biol Sci
Asunto de la revista:
BIOLOGIA
Año:
2022
Tipo del documento:
Article
País de afiliación:
España