The Prudent Prey and the Prudent Predator

Abstract

Recently Slobodkin (1974) restated his position on prudent predation. This was prompted by a statement made in passing by Maynard Smith and Slatkin (1973) implying that group selection may provide the sole rationale for the concept of predatory prudence. Slobodkin argued that this is not true, that the illusion of prudence is owing to the properties of the prey population, and that it results from the action of individual selection in shaping the age schedules of births and deaths of the prey. This is an important theoretical insight-hence the use of the term prey "prudence." But Slobodkin went on to identify age-specificity of prey reproductive value as a character molded by the selective process: "The ''prudent'' behavior of the major predators arises because there is selective advantage in the prey altering its age distribution of fecundity and survival so as to lower the relative reproductive value of those age categories which are the ''preferred'' victims of the predator" (Slobodkin 1974). Certainly reproductive value is involved, but its relevance in connection with prudent predation and prey fitness has been misconceived. Moreover, reproductive value may be involved in quite a different manner when the predator is truly rational from when the prudence is illusory and resides in the genetic makeup of the prey population.